US 7,063,457 B2Granted

Fixed point cell for connection with the thermometer protecting tube and apparatus for estimating the lifetime of thermometer using the same

AssigneeKorea Research Institute of Standards and Science

InventorsKee Hoon Kang, Chang Ho Song, Yong Gyoo Kim, Kee Sool Gam, Young Hee Lee

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A fixed-point cell for connection with a thermometer protecting tube and apparatus for estimating the lifetime of thermometerin the thermometer protecting tube including: a reference temperature material layer made of high-purity metallic materials to indicate a reference temperature based on a phase change of material, which coexists in a two-phase or three-phase state; a container part of a multiple structure having the reference temperature material layer embedded and sealed therein for achieving thermal correlation between the reference temperature material layer and the thermometer protecting tube having a thermometer contained therein, the thermometer protecting tube being inserted into the central hole of the fixed-point cell while being in contact with the inner circumference of the container part; and fixing devices disposed on the top portion of the container part for fixing the thermometer protecting tube to the container part in a fastening manner.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A fixed-point cell for connection with a thermometer protecting tube comprising:

a reference temperature material layer made of high-purity metallic materials to indicate a reference temperature based on a phase change of material which coexists in a two-phase or three-phase state;
a container part of a multiple structure having the reference temperature material layer embedded and sealed therein for achieving thermal correlation between the reference temperature material layer and a thermometer protecting tube having a thermometer built therein, the thermometer protecting tube being inserted into the container part while being in contact with the inner circumference of the container part;
and
fixing means disposed on the top portion of the container part for fixing the thermometer protecting tube to the container part in a fastening manner,
wherein the container part includes:
a first container opened at one side to receive the thermometer protecting tube and closed at the other side, the first container being of a double structure of an inner casing and an outer casing extending along an axial line from an upper portion to a lower portion;
and
a second container embedded in the first container and having the reference temperature material layer contained therein,
wherein the fixing means includes:
a first flange coupled to the opened side of the first container along the coaxial line and facing with the outer circumferential surface of the thermometer protecting tube;
and
a second flange being in inclinedly close contact with the upper portion of the first flange and coupled with the first flange, wherein the second flange is pressing and fixing the thermometer protecting tube when the second flange forces the first flange to press toward the center of the axial line.

9 more elements

An apparatus for estimating the lifetime of a thermometer comprising:

a fixed-point cell, to which a thermometer protecting tube is inserted and with which the thermometer protecting tube is in contact, the thermometer protecting tube having the thermometer built therein, the fixed-point cell having a reference temperature material layer made of a high-purity metallic material contained therein to achieve thermal correlation between the thermometer protecting tube and the fixed-point cell and indicate a reference temperature based on a phase change of the material which coexists in a two-phase or three-phase state;
a heating device receiving and coupled with the fixed-point cell and heating the fixed-point cell to induce the phase change of the reference temperature material layer;
a heating device receiving and coupled with the fixed-point cell and heating the fixed-point cell to induce the phase change of the reference temperature material layer;
a temperature indicator grounded to a lead wire of the thermometer to indicate the temperature of the reference temperature material layer measured by the thermometer;
and
a computer for comparing a difference between the reference temperature in a constant-temperature area formed by the phase change and the measured temperature of the thermometer with a reference deviation, and storing the reference temperature in constant-temperature areas and the reference deviation to determine an error of the thermometer according to an abnormal range of the reference deviation, the computer being electrically connected with the temperature indicator,
wherein the fixed-point cell includes:
a container part of a multiple structure having the reference temperature material layer embedded and sealed therein for achieving thermal correlation between the reference temperature material layer and a thermometer protecting tube having a thermometer built therein;
and
fixing means disposed on the top portion of the container part for fixing the thermometer protecting tube to the container part in a fastening manner
whereby the computer can estimate the lifetime of the thermometer by calculating difference between the measured temperature and the reference temperature and comparing the value of the difference with a used period and with an error range.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.