Device and method for detecting deposits

A device for detecting the presence of deposits on a wall which is covered by a medium, said device comprising:

• a sensor integrated in or placed on the wall, said sensor including a heating element for heating the medium in an area surrounding the heating element, and said sensor detecting a temperature of said medium in the heated area or a temperature of the heating element;
• and
• an evaluation unit operatively connected to said sensor for receiving detected temperature signals from said sensor;
• said evaluation unit determining a degree of deposit formation on the wall by comparing received temperature signals with predetermined reference temperature data, wherein
• a heating intensity with which the heating element is heated during a test measurement in which the detected temperature signals are generated corresponds to a heating intensity with which the heating element is heated during a reference measurement in which the predetermined reference temperature data is generated, and
• the evaluation unit determines the degree of deposit formation from a difference between a temperature established during the test measurement and a temperature established during the reference measurement.

A method for detecting the presence of a deposit on a wall which is covered by a medium, said method comprising:

• locally heating an area of the medium;
• sensing a temperature of the medium in the heated area or of a heating element used to heat the medium in the heated area;
• and
• determining a degree of deposit formation by comparing sensed temperature data from the heated area to predetermined reference temperature data;
• wherein
• the heating of the medium and the sensing of the temperature are effected by a sensor integrated in or placed on the wall in the area which is heated;
• the determination of the degree of deposit formation is effected by an evaluation unit operatively connected to receive signals from said sensor,
• the medium is heated during a test measurement in which the temperature of the medium is sensed to a temperature which corresponds to a temperature generated in a reference measurement in which the predetermined reference temperature data is generated, and
• the evaluation unit determines the degree of deposit formation based on a difference in heating intensity required to attain the temperature in the test measurement and the temperature generated in the reference measurement.

A method for detecting the presence of a deposit on a wall which is covered by a medium, said method comprising:

• locally heating an area of the medium;
• sensing a temperature of the medium in the heated area or of a heating element used to heat the medium in the heated area;
• and
• determining a degree of deposit formation by comparing sensed temperature data from the heated area to predetermined reference temperature data;
• wherein
• the heating of the medium and the sensing of the temperature are effected by a sensor integrated in or placed on the wall in the area which is heated,
• the determination of the degree of deposit formation is effected by an evaluation unit operatively connected to receive signals from said sensor,
• a heating intensity with which the medium is heated during a test measurement in which the temperature of the medium is sensed corresponds a heating intensity with which the heating element is heated during a reference measurement in which the predetermined reference temperature data is generated, and
• the evaluation unit determines the degree of deposit formation from difference between a temperature established during the test measurement and a temperature established during the reference measurement.