Viscometric thermometer
AssigneeWestvaco Corporation
InventorJamal Seyed-Yagoobi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A viscometric thermometer is fabricated with two sensing capillaries connected serially in a common fluid flow circuit. The first capillary is immersed in a reference bath of known constant temperature. Pressure differential across the first capillary is measured and the fluid medium flow rate through the common circuit is determined. The second sensor is positioned in the unknown temperature environment and pressure differential across the second capillary is measured. This second capillary pressure differential is combined with the determined flow rate value to further determine the unknown temperature value.
Claims8
An apparatus for measuring the temperature of a designated environment comprising:
- A fluid flow conduit connected between a fluid flow drive of substantially constant pressure differential;
- At least two heat sensing capillaries in series flow circuit with said conduit;
- Pressure differential detecting means connected to said fluid flow conduit respective to each sensing capillary for measuring fluid flow pressure differential across respective sensing capillaries;
- Temperature controlled environment means surrounding a first of said sensing capillaries with the second of the sensing capillaries located in said designated environment;
- and
- A fluid flow medium within said flow conduit of calibrated temperature and viscosity correlation.
A method for measuring the temperature of a designated environment comprising the steps of:
- Flowing a fluid medium of calibrated temperature and viscosity correlation through a conduit under a constant pressure differential drive;
- Restricting the flow of said fluid medium through at least two capillary sections in said conduit;
- Measuring the pressure differential across each of said capillary sections;
- Surrounding a first of said capillary sections with a thermally controlled environment of known temperature value;
- Subjecting a second of said capillary sections to an environment of unknown temperature value;
- and
- Determining the value of said unknown temperature from data comprising said measured pressure differentials.
A method for measuring the temperature of a designated environment comprising the steps of:
- Calibrating the temperature and viscosity correlation properties of a fluid medium;
- Introducing flow of said fluid medium under a substantially constant pressure drive through a conduit having at least two flow restrictions with substantially high rates of heat exchange;
- Controlling the temperature of said fluid medium to a known value at a first of said flow restrictions;
- Measuring the pressure differential of said medium flow across said first flow restriction;
- Determining the instantaneous flow rate of said fluid medium through said conduit from said first flow restriction pressure differential;
- Exposing a second fluid flow restriction to an environment of unknown temperature value;
- Measuring the pressure differential of said medium flow across said second flow restriction;
- Determining the value of said unknown temperature from said calibrated medium correlation properties, said instantaneous flow rate and said second flow restriction pressure differential.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.