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US 2011/0236004 A1Published application
Liquid heater with temperature control
AssigneeISI Technology, LLC
InventorsJohn H. Bowers, Gregory S. Lyon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A liquid heater such as a direct electrical resistance liquid heater having multiple flow channels is provided with a temperature-sensing element in the form of a wire extending across numerous channels, preferably all of the channels, near the downstream ends of the channels. The resistance of the wire represents the average temperature of the liquid passing through all of the channels, and hence the temperature of the mixed liquid exiting from the heater. A bubble suppressing structure is provided in the vicinity of the wire.
Claims13
A fluid handling device comprising:
- (a) a channel structure defining a channel extending in a downstream direction;
- (b) an elongated wire extending across the channel in a widthwise direction adjacent a downstream end of the channel;
- and
- (c) an exit structure bounding the channel at a downstream end of the channel, the exit structure defining a slot extending across the channel in the widthwise direction in alignment with the wire, the slot having a cross-sectional area smaller than the cross-sectional area of the channel, the slot being open for flow of fluid exiting from the channel, the exit structure further defining a pair of collection chambers disposed on opposite sides of the slot and offset from the slot in lateral directions transverse to the downstream direction and widthwise direction, and a pair of elongated lips extending in the widthwise direction and separating the chambers from the slot, the collection chambers being open in the upstream direction and extending downstream from the lips, the exit structure further defining exit bores communicating with the collection chambers and open for flow of fluid exiting from the channel, the exit bores collectively having cross-sectional area smaller than the cross-sectional area of the slot.
1 more element
A fluid heater comprising:
- (a) a channel structure defining an inlet, an outlet and a plurality of channels extending in a downstream direction and communicating with the inlet and outlet so that fluid can flow in parallel though the channels from the inlet to the outlet, the channel structure including one or more electrical energy application elements associated with each channel;
- (b) a temperature-sensing wire extending across the plurality of channels adjacent downstream ends thereof;
- and
- (c) a control circuit connected to the heating elements and the wire, the control circuit being arranged monitor an electrical resistance of the wire and control application of power to the electrical energy application elements responsive to the electrical resistance of the wire so that in at least some control conditions, fluid flowing through different ones of the channels will be heated to different temperatures.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.