Devices for detecting material deposits in fluid flow conduits
AssigneeWatlow Electric Manufacturing Company
InventorsJohn LILLELAND, Grant BREWER, Li ZHENG, Terry MADSON, Sanhong ZHANG, Miranda PIZZELLA
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Abstract
A sensor for detecting material deposits in a fluid flow conduit includes a body and an array of pairs of temperature sensors disposed within the body, where each pair of temperature sensors is spaced a distance apart along a primary flow direction of the fluid flow conduit.
Claims29
A sensor for detecting material deposits in a fluid flow conduit, the sensor comprising:
- a body;
- and
- an array of pairs of temperature sensors disposed within the body, each pair of temperature sensors spaced a distance apart along a primary flow direction of the fluid flow conduit.
A sensor for detecting material deposits in a fluid flow conduit, the sensor comprising:
- a body;
- an array of pairs of temperature sensors disposed within the body, each pair of temperature sensors spaced a distance apart along a primary flow direction of the fluid flow conduit;
- and
- a heater secured to an exterior portion of the body.
A method of detecting material deposits in a fluid flow conduit, the method comprising:
- detecting temperatures from an array of pairs of temperature sensors disposed proximate the fluid flow conduit;
- monitoring differences in temperatures of the array of pairs of temperature sensors over time;
- and
- determining a presence of material deposits based on the differences in temperature.
A method of detecting material deposits in a fluid flow conduit, the method comprising:
- detecting a first temperature at a first location along the fluid flow conduit;
- detecting a second temperature at a second location along the fluid flow conduit, the second location being spaced a distance apart longitudinally from the first location;
- monitoring a temperature differential between the first temperature and the second temperature over time;
- and
- determining a presence of material deposits based on the temperature differential.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.