Scale detection systems and methods for aircraft beverage makers
AssigneeB/E Aerospace, Inc.
InventorsByron Devlin, Derek J. Taylor, Jeb Stewart
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A beverage maker may comprise a heating system, a temperature sensor operably coupled the heating system, and a controller. The controller may be configured to receive a series of measured temperature signals from the temperature sensor, calculate a change in temperature using the series of measured temperature signals, and calculate an efficiency of the heating system based on the change in temperature. The controller may further estimate a scale buildup based on the efficiency of the heating system, and store at least one of the estimated scale buildup or the efficiency of the heating system in a heating system performance database.
Claims19
A beverage maker, comprising:
- a heating system;
- a temperature sensor operably coupled to the heating system;
- a controller configured to receive measured temperature signals from the temperature sensor;
- and
- a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon for that, in response to execution by the controller, cause the controller to perform operations comprising:
- receiving, by the controller, a series of measured temperature signals from the temperature sensor;
- calculating, by the controller, a change in temperature using the series of measured temperature signals;
- determining, by the controller, an expected change in temperature using a system thermal model;
- comparing, by the controller, the change in temperature to the expected change in temperature;
- accessing, by the controller, previous heating system performance data stored in the heating system performance database;
- comparing, by the controller, the change in temperature to the previous heating system performance data stored;
- calculating, by the controller, an efficiency of the heating system based on the change in temperature;
- estimating, by the controller, a scale buildup based on the efficiency of the heating system;
- and
- storing, by the controller, at least one of the estimated scale buildup or the efficiency of the heating system in a heating system performance database.
An article of manufacture including a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon for detecting and monitoring scale buildup in a beverage maker and that, in response to execution by a controller, cause the controller to perform operations comprising:
- receiving, by the controller, a series of measured temperature signals from a temperature sensor operably coupled to a heating system of the beverage maker;
- determining, by the controller, a change in temperature using the series of measured temperature signals;
- accessing, by the controller, previous heating system performance data stored in the heating system performance database;
- comparing, by the controller, the change in temperature to the previous heating system performance data stored;
- calculating, by the controller, an efficiency of the heating system based on the change in temperature;
- estimating, by the controller, a scale buildup based on the efficiency of the heating system;
- and
- storing, by the controller, at least one of the estimated scale buildup or the efficiency of the heating system in a heating system performance database.
A method for detecting and monitoring scale buildup in a beverage maker, comprising:
- receiving, by a controller, a series of measured temperature signals from a temperature sensor operably coupled to a heating system of the beverage maker;
- determining, by the controller, a change in temperature using the series of measured temperature signals;
- accessing, by the controller, previous heating system performance data stored in the heating system performance database;
- determining, by the controller, an expected change in temperature using a system thermal model;
- comparing, by the controller, the change in temperature to the expected change in temperature;
- calculating, by the controller, an efficiency of the heating system based on the change in temperature;
- estimating, by the controller, a scale buildup based on the efficiency of the heating system;
- and
- storing, by the controller, at least one of the estimated scale buildup or the efficiency of the heating system in a heating system performance database.
A scale detection and monitoring system, comprising:
- a heating system further comprising:
- an inline heat exchanger, the inline heat exchanger including:
- a heating element;
- a thermally conductive heating block located about the heating element;
- and
- a conduit thermally coupled to the heating element via the thermally conductive heating block, wherein the temperature sensor is configured to measure a temperature of the thermally conductive heating block;
- a temperature sensor operably coupled to the heating system;
- and
- a controller in communication with the temperature sensor, wherein the controller is configured to receive a series of measured temperature signals from the temperature sensor and determine a change in temperature using the series of measured temperature signals, and wherein the controller is configured to calculate an efficiency of the heating system based on the change in temperature and estimate a scale buildup based on the efficiency of the heating system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.