Systems and methods for detecting the presence of deposits in fluid flow conduits
AssigneeWatlow Electric Manufacturing Company
InventorsMiranda P. Pizzella, Grant Brewer, Sanhong Zhang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of detecting accumulation of material deposits within a fluid flow conduit includes providing, by a controller, an excitation signal to a heating element of the fluid flow conduit. The method includes obtaining, by the controller, thermodynamic data of the fluid flow conduit in response to providing the excitation signal, where the thermodynamic data includes heat flux data, diffusivity data, time data, temperature differential data, or a combination thereof. The method includes determining, by the controller, an amount of material deposits based on the thermodynamic data.
Claims24
A method of detecting accumulation of material deposits within a fluid flow conduit, the method comprising:
- providing, by a controller, an excitation signal to a heating element of the fluid flow conduit and a second heating element of the fluid flow conduit, wherein the excitation signal has a predetermined electrical power, the heating element is provided proximate to a first location of the fluid flow conduit, and the second heating element is provided proximate to a second location of the fluid flow conduit;
- obtaining a first temperature and a second temperature of the fluid flow conduit in response to providing the excitation signal, wherein the first temperature is associated with the first location, and the second temperature is associated with the second location;
- obtaining, by the controller, thermodynamic data of the fluid flow conduit in response to providing the excitation signal, wherein the thermodynamic data includes heat flux data, diffusivity data, time data, temperature differential data, or a combination thereof;
- and
- determining, by the controller, an amount of material deposits based on the thermodynamic data.
A method of detecting accumulation of material deposits within a fluid flow conduit, the method comprising:
- providing, by a controller, an excitation signal to a heating element of the fluid flow conduit and a second heating element of the fluid flow conduit, the heating element is provided proximate to a first location of the fluid flow conduit, and the second heating element is provided proximate to a second location of the fluid flow conduit, wherein the excitation signal includes an amplitude indicative of at least one of a voltage magnitude, a current magnitude, or a power magnitude;
- obtaining a first temperature and a second temperature of the fluid flow conduit in response to providing the excitation signal, wherein the first temperature is associated with the first location, and the second temperature is associated with the second location;
- obtaining, by the controller, electrical data of the heating element in response to providing the excitation signal, wherein the electrical data indicates a voltage, an electric current, or a combination thereof;
- and
- determining, by the controller, an amount of material deposits based on the electrical data.
A system for detecting accumulation of material deposits within a fluid flow conduit, the system comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a nontransitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that are executable by the processor, wherein the instructions comprise:
- providing an excitation signal to a heating element of the fluid flow conduit and a second heating element of the fluid flow conduit, wherein the excitation signal has a predetermined electrical power, the heating element is provided proximate to a first location of the fluid flow conduit, and the second heating element is provided proximate to a second location of the fluid flow conduit, wherein the excitation signal has a predetermined electrical power;
- obtaining a first temperature and a second temperature of the fluid flow conduit in response to providing the excitation signal, wherein the first temperature is associated with the first location, and the second temperature is associated with the second location;
- obtaining thermodynamic data of the fluid flow conduit in response to providing the excitation signal, wherein the thermodynamic data includes heat flux data, diffusivity data, time data, temperature differential data, or a combination thereof;
- and
- determining an amount of material deposits based on the thermodynamic data, the predetermined electrical power, and a fluid flow rate of the fluid flow conduit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.