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US 4,906,105 AGranted
Measurement of thermal conditions
AssigneeUnited Biscuits (UK) Limited
InventorJohn E. Geake
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Thermal conditions inside an oven are measured by a transducer device (1) having plates providing heat absorbent and heat reflective surfaces (2,4) and a thermocouple for measuring the temperature difference between them as a measure of radiant heat. The plates are mounted on a thin thermally insulating layer secured to a heat sink in the form of a copper mass (7,9), and a second thermocouple measures the temperature difference between the heat absorbent surface and the heat sink as a measure of heat flux through the surface. A Peltier cooler (55) or a flowing liquid can be used alternatively as a heat sink. Heat flux alone can be measured by omission of the heat reflective surface, and where the heat sink is a flowing fluid the heat gained can be measured.
Claims21
Apparatus for measurement of radiation flux within a heated chamber, said apparatus comprising a transducer having:
- a first thin plate having a heat energy absorbent surface,
- a second thin plate having a heat energy reflective surface,
- a thin insulating layer, said thin insulating layer having said first and second plates mounted in adjacency thereon with said absorbent and reflective surfaces exposed,
- a heat sink member, said heat sink member having said thin insulating layer mounted thereon with said absorbent and reflective surfaces exposed, whereby said first and second plates are in thermal contact with said heat sink member by way of the surfaces thereof opposite said absorbent and reflective surfaces and said thin insulating layer,
- a reflective casing enclosing said heat sink member except in the region of said thin insulating layer, and
- sensor means adapted to measure a temperature difference between said first and said second plates as a measure of the radiation flux incident on said plates, said sensor means comprising two thermocouple junctions, said junctions being attached to said first and said second plates respectively in a thermally conductive relationship with said first and second plates.
3 more elements
Apparatus for measurement of radiation flux within a heated chamber, said apparatus comprising a transducer having:
- a first thin plate having a heat energy absorbent surface,
- a second thin plate having a heat energy reflective surface,
- a thin insulating layer, said thin insulating layer having said first and second plates mounted in adjacency thereon with said absorbent and reflective surfaces exposed,
- a heat sink member, said heat sink member having said thin insulting layer mounted thereon with said absorbent and reflective surfaces exposed, whereby said first and second plates are in thermal contact with said heat sink member by way of the surfaces thereof opposite said absorbent and reflective surfaces and said thin insulating layer,
- a reflective casing enclosing said heat sink member except in the region of said thin insulating layer,
- sensor means adapted to measure a temperature difference between said first and second plates as a measure of the radiation flux incident on said plates, said sensor means comprising two thermocouple junctions attached to said first and second plates respectively,
- a first thermocouple junction mounted externally of said reflective casing,
- a second thermocouple junction, and
- means maintaining said second thermocouple junction at a reference temperature, said first and second thermocouple junctions cooperating to measure temperature ambient to said casing.
6 more elements
Apparatus for measurement of radiation flux within a heated chamber, said apparatus comprising a transducer having:
- a first thin plate having a heat energy absorbent surface,
- a second thin plate having a heat energy reflective surface,
- a thin insulating layer, said thin insulating layer having said first and second plates mounted in adjacency thereon with said absorbent and reflective surfaces exposed,
- a heat sink member, said heat sink member having said thin insulating layer mounted thereon with said absorbent and reflective surfaces exposed, whereby said first and second plates are in thermal contact with said heat sink member by way of the surfaces thereof opposite said absorbent and reflective surfaces and said thin insulting layer,
- sensor means adapted to measure a temperature difference between said first and second plates as a measure of the radiation flux incident on said plates, said sensor means comprising first and second thermocouple junctions attached to said first and second plates respectively,
- a third thermocouple junction located on said heat sink member,
- a fourth thermocouple junction, and
- means for maintaining said fourth thermocouple junction at a reference temperature, said third and fourth thermocouple junctions cooperating to measure the temperature of said heat sink member.
5 more elements
Apparatus for measurement of radiation flux within a heated chamber, said apparatus comprising a transducer having:
- a first thin plate having a heat energy absorbent surface,
- a second thin plate having a heat energy reflective surface,
- a thin insulating layer, said thin insulating layer having said first and second plates mounted in adjacency thereon with said absorbent and reflective surfaces exposed,
- a heat sink member, said heat sink member comprising a first metal block and a second metal block, wherein said first metal block is smaller in size than said second metal block, said first metal block is secured to said second metal block, said first metal block having said thin insulating layer mounted thereon with said absorbent and reflective surfaces exposed, whereby said first and second plates are in thermal contact with said heat sink member by way of the surfaces thereof opposite said absorbent and reflective surfaces and said thin insulating layer,
- a reflective metal casing receiving said first and second metal blocks therein,
- an aperture in said casing exposing said absorbent and reflective surfaces,
- thermal insulating material within said casing around said second metal block, and
- sensor means adapted to measure a temperature difference between said first and second plates as a measure of the radiation flux incident on said plates, said sensor means comprising first and second thermocouple junctions attached to said first and second plates respectively.
5 more elements
Apparatus for measurement of radiation flux within a heated chamber, said apparatus comprising a transducer having:
- a first thin plate having a heat energy absorbent surface,
- a second thin plate having a heat energy reflective surface,
- a thin insulating layer, said thin insulating layer having said first and second plates mounted in adjacency thereon with said absorbent and reflective surfaces exposed,
- a heat sink member, said heat sink member having said thin insulating layer mounted thereon with said absorbent and reflective surfaces exposed, whereby said first and second plates are in thermal contact with said heat sink member by way of the surfaces thereof opposite said absorbent and reflective surfaces and said thin insulting layer,
- a reflective casing enclosing said heat sink member except in the region of said thin insulating layer, and
- sensor means adapted to measure a temperature difference between said first and second plates as a measure of the radiation flux incident on said first and second plates, said sensor means comprising first and second sensor elements attached to said first and second plates respectively.
3 more elements
Apparatus for measurement of heat flux within a heated chamber, said apparatus comprising a transducer having:
- a thin plate having a heat energy absorbent surface,
- a thin insulating layer, said thin insulating layer having said plate mounted thereon with said absorbent surface exposed,
- a heat sink member, said heat sink member having said thin insulating layer mounted thereon with said absorbent surface of said plate exposed, whereby said plate is in thermal contact with said heat sink member by way of the surface thereof opposite said absorbent surface and said thin insulating layer,
- a reflective casing enclosing said heat sink member except in the region of said thin insulting layer, and
- sensor means adapted to measure a temperature difference between said plate and said heat sink member as a measure of heat flux at said absorbent surface, said sensor means comprising first and second sensor elements attached to said plate and said heat sink member respectively.
2 more elements
A method of measuring heat flux in a heated chamber comprising the steps of:
- providing a transducer comprising a thin plate having a heat energy absorbent surface, a thin insulating layer having said plate mounted thereon with said absorbent surface exposed, a heat sink member having said thin insulating layer mounted thereon with said absorbent surface exposed, whereby said plate is in thermal contact with said heat sink member by way of the surface thereof opposite said absorbent surface and said thin insulating layer, a reflective casing enclosing said heat sink member except in the region of said thin insulting layer, and first and second sensor elements attached to said plate and said heat sink member respectively, placing said transducer in said heated chamber with said absorbent surface exposed, and effecting measurements of the temperature difference between said plate and said heat sink by means of said first and second sensor elements as a measure of the heat flux at said absorbent surface.
A method of measuring radiation flux in a heated chamber, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a transducer having a first thin plate having a heat energy absorbent surface, a second thin plate having a heat energy reflective surface, a thin insulating layer having said first and second plates mounted in adjacency thereon with said absorbent and reflective surfaces exposed, a heat sink member having said thin insulating layer mounted thereon with said absorbent and reflective surfaces exposed, whereby said first and second plates are in thermal contact with said heat sink member by way of the surfaces thereof opposite said absorbent and reflective surfaces and said thin insulating layer, a reflective casing enclosing said heat sink member except in the region of said thin insulating layer, and first and second sensor elements attached to said first and second plates respectively,
- placing said transducer with said transducer located to expose said adjacent surfaces, and
- effecting measurements of the temperature difference between said first and second thin plates by means of said first and second sensor elements as a measure of the radiation flux within said chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.