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US 12,754,081 B2Granted
Dual-use level and temperature probe
AssigneeGoodrich Corporation
InventorCarl R. Aeschliman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dual-use level and temperature probe includes a stem configured to contact liquid, at least one sensor coupled to the stem, and a controller in signal communication with the sensor. The sensor includes an input terminal configured to receive electrical current and an output terminal configured to provide a return path for the electrical current. The controller is configured to deliver the input current to the input terminal and configured to monitor a voltage across the input and output terminals. The controller is configured to perform both a liquid level measurement and a temperature measurement based on the voltage.
Claims18
A dual-use level and temperature probe comprising:
- a stem configured to contact liquid;
- a sensor coupled to the stem, the sensor including an input terminal configured to receive electrical current and an output terminal configured to provide a return path for the electrical current;
- and
- a controller in signal communication with the sensor, the controller configured to deliver the input current to the input terminal and configured to monitor a voltage across the input and output terminals,
- wherein the controller is configured to perform both a liquid level measurement and a temperature measurement based on the voltage,
- wherein the controller performs the liquid level measurement in response to performing the following operations:
- delivering a first amount of the electrical current to the input terminal to induce resistive heating of the resistive temperature device;
- in response to producing resistive heat, halting delivery of the first amount of electrical current to the resistive temperature device, and delivering a second amount of electrical current that is less than the first amount of electrical current;
- measuring the voltage across the resistive temperature device indicative of a resistance and monitoring a decay rate of the resistance following delivery of the second amount of electrical current;
- and
- determining a temperature decay rate associated with the resistive temperature device based on the decay rate of the resistance,
- wherein the controller continuously alternates between performing the liquid level measurement and performing the temperature measurement, and in response to a measured temperature exceeding a temperature threshold, and halts performing the temperature measurement so as to prevent heating liquid while continuing to perform the liquid level measurement.
9 more elements
A dual-use level and temperature probe comprising:
- a stem configured to contact liquid;
- a first sensor coupled to the stem, the first sensor including a first input terminal configured to receive a first electrical current and a first output terminal configured to output the first electrical current;
- a second sensor coupled to the stem, the second sensor including a second input terminal configured to receive a second electrical current and a second output terminal configured to output the second electrical current;
- a controller in signal communication with the first sensor and the second sensor, the controller configured to deliver the first electrical current to the first input terminal and the second electrical current to the second input terminal, and configured to monitor a first voltage across the first input and output terminals and to monitor a second voltage across the second input and output terminals,
- wherein the controller is configured to perform a liquid level measurement based on the first voltage and to perform a temperature measurement based on the second voltage,
- wherein the controller performs the liquid level measurement in response to performing the following operations:
- delivering the first electrical current having a first current level to the first input terminal to induce resistive heating of the first resistive temperature device;
- in response to producing resistive heat from the first resistive temperature device, halting delivery of the first electrical current to the first resistive temperature device, and delivering a second amount of electrical current that is less than the first amount of electrical current;
- receiving the first voltage signal from the first resistive temperature device indicative of a resistance following delivery of the second amount of electrical current;
- monitoring the decay rate of the resistance;
- and
- determining a temperature decay rate associated with the first resistive temperature device based on the decay rate of the resistance,
- wherein the controller continuously alternates between performing the liquid level measurement and performing the temperature measurement, and in response to a measured temperature exceeding a temperature threshold, and halts performing the temperature measurement so as to prevent heating liquid while continuing to perform the liquid level measurement.
10 more elements
A method of performing a liquid level measurement and a liquid temperature measurement using a single resistive temperature device, the method comprising:
- coupling a single sensor to a stem configured to contact liquid;
- delivering an electrical current from a controller to an input terminal of the sensor, and outputting the electrical current flowing through the sensor to the controller via an output terminal of the sensor;
- monitor a voltage across the input and output terminals using the controller;
- and
- performing both the liquid level measurement and the temperature measurement based on the voltage,
- wherein the controller performs the liquid level measurement in response to performing the following operations:
- delivering the first electrical current having a first current level to the first input terminal to induce resistive heating of the first resistive temperature device;
- in response to producing resistive heat from the first resistive temperature device, halting delivery of the first electrical current to the first resistive temperature device, and delivering a second amount of electrical current that is less than the first amount of electrical current;
- receiving the first voltage signal from the first resistive temperature device indicative of a resistance following delivery of the second amount of electrical current;
- monitoring the decay rate of the resistance;
- and
- determining a temperature decay rate associated with the first resistive temperature device based on the decay rate of the resistance;
- continuously alternating between performing the liquid level measurement and performing the temperature measurement;
- and in response to a measured temperature exceeding a temperature threshold, halting performing the temperature measurement so as to prevent heating the liquid while continuing to perform the liquid level measurement.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.