Fast response, multiple-loop temperature regulator
AssigneeITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.
InventorJames E. Landrith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for regulating a temperature of an object to a desired temperature includes a feedback circuit operable to produce a feedback error signal based on a difference of the desired temperature of the object and the temperature of the object; and a heating circuit operable to impart heat to the object as a substantially linear function of a command signal, the command signal being based on the feedback error signal.
Claims44
An apparatus for regulating a temperature of an object to a desired temperature, comprising:
- a feedback circuit operable to produce a feedback error signal in response to a difference of the desired temperature of the object and the temperature of the object;
- and
- a heating circuit operable to impart heat to the object as a substantially linear function of a command signal, the command signal being based on the feedback error signal.
An apparatus for regulating a temperature of an object to a desired temperature, the object being in thermal communication with a thermal base that tends to draw the temperature of the object to the base temperature, the apparatus comprising:
- a feed-forward circuit operable to produce a feed-forward error signal in response to a difference of the desired temperature of the object and the base temperature;
- a feedback circuit operable to produce a feedback error signal in response to a difference of the desired temperature of the object and the temperature of the object;
- and
- a heating circuit operable to impart heat to the object as a substantially linear function of an aggregate of the feed-forward and feedback error signals.
A microwave frequency oscillator being in thermal communication with a thermal base that tends to draw a temperature of the oscillator to a base temperature, comprising:
- a feed-forward circuit operable to produce a feed-forward error signal substantially equal to a difference of a desired temperature of the oscillator and the base temperature;
- a feedback circuit operable to produce a feedback error signal substantially equal to a difference of the desired temperature of the oscillator and the temperature of the oscillator;
- and
- a heating circuit operable to impart heat to the oscillator as a substantially linear function of a command signal, the command signal being an aggregate of the feedback and feed-forward error signals.
A method for regulating a temperature of an object to a desired temperature, comprising:
- producing a feedback error signal in response to a difference of the desired temperature of the object and the temperature of the object;
- and
- heating the object as a substantially linear function of a command signal, the command signal being based on the feedback error signal.
A method for regulating a temperature of an object to a desired temperature, the object being in thermal communication with a thermal base that tends to draw the temperature of the object to a base temperature, the method comprising:
- producing a feed-forward error signal substantially proportional to a difference of the desired temperature of the object and the base temperature;
- producing a feedback error signal substantially proportional to a difference of the desired temperature of the object and the temperature of the object;
- and
- heating the object as a substantially linear function of a command signal, the command signal being an aggregate of the feed-forward and feedback error signals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.