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AssigneeNorthrop Grumman Corporation
InventorsRobert Michael Garcia, David Bohman Tracy
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A high-velocity, accurately responsive impingement heater provides heated air at a substantially constant temperature to a process location to effect control of a process. The heater includes an air line for conducting air from an inlet thereof to the process location. A heat exchanger, including a plurality of electrical heating elements, heats air conducted through the air line. A power driver is connected to the heat exchanger and applies current to the heat exchanger. A controller is connected to the driver and receives a predetermined process temperature input from the user, as required for effecting control of the process. A process temperature sensor is positioned at the process location and measures the temperature of the air provided to the process location. The process temperature sensor provides a process temperature signal to the controller which is indicative of the air temperature at the process location. An internal temperature sensor is positioned immediately downstream from the heat exchanger and measures the temperature of the air at that location in the air line. The internal temperature sensor provides an internal temperature signal to the controller which is indicative of the air temperature downstream from the heat exchanger. Based upon the temperature signals from the temperature sensors, the controller provides a control signal to the driver for specifying the amount of heat required at the process location in order for the heated air to substantially equal the predetermined process temperature. The driver then applies a corresponding current to the heat exchanger in response to the control signal.
A compressed air heating system for applying heated air to a remote process location for effecting a chemical bonding process employed in assembly and repair, comprising:
A method of providing heat to a remote process location for effecting a chemical bonding process at a substantially constant predetermined process temperature by means of a compressed air heater including a heat exchanger having a plurality of heating elements, a driver, and a controller, the method comprising the steps of:
A compressed air heating system for applying heated air to a remote process location for effecting a chemical bonding process employed in assembly and repair, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.