Creating thermal uniformity in heated piping and weldment systems
OwnerSami Mustafa, Damon R. Wytcherleyinventors
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Abstract
A piping system comprises a resistive heating circuit, a target heating surface, and a thermally conductive substrate adjoin (or abutting) both the heating circuit and the heating surface. The thermally conductive substrate can be composed of aluminum or some other material for heat spreading. A material for heat spreading has a thermal conductivity sufficient to evenly heat a section of the target surface within tolerance requirements of a sensitive application. The even heating can eliminate hot spots and cold spots of a temperature gradient along an axis of the piping system.
Claims16
A method for creating thermal uniformity in a heated piping system delivering gas or liquid to applications, comprising:
- attaching a heat sink substrate to at least a section of the piping system that delivers uniformly heated gas or liquid passing through the piping system, wherein the heat substrate is formed from a material that heat spreads according to a thermal conductivity of the material, and wherein the heat sink substrate has a non-uniform thickness to conform to a non-uniform diameter of the section of the piping system;
- attaching a heater circuit to an outer surface portion of the heat sink substrate for delivering heat to the gas or liquid on an inner surface portion of the heat sink substrate, wherein the heater circuit comprises a pattern that inherently produces hot and cold spots that are smoothed by heat spreading of the heat sink substrate to apply heat to the gas or liquid within tolerance requirements of an application;
- mounting a temperature sensor within the thickness of the heat sink substrate, with feedback to the heat controller, for measuring a temperature near the inner surface portion of the heat sink substrate as provided by the heater circuit on the outer surface;
- and
- adjusting the heater circuit at the outer surface portion by the heat controller responsive to the measurements at the inner surface portion.
A heated piping system for thermal uniformity for gas or liquid delivered to applications, comprising:
- a heat sink substrate attached to at least a section of the piping system that delivers uniformly heated gas or liquid passing through the piping system, wherein the heat substrate is formed from a material that heat spreads according to a thermal conductivity of the material, and wherein the heat sink substrate has a non-uniform thickness to conform to a non-uniform diameter of the section of the piping system;
- a heater circuit attached to an outer surface portion of the heat sink substrate for delivering heat to the gas or liquid on an inner surface portion of the heat sink substrate, wherein the heater circuit comprises a pattern that inherently produces hot and cold spots that are smoothed by heat spreading of the heat sink substrate to apply heat to the gas or liquid within tolerance requirements of an application;
- and
- a temperature sensor mounted within the thickness of the heat sink substrate, with feedback to the heat controller, for measuring a temperature near the inner surface portion of the heat sink substrate as provided by the heater circuit on the outer surface;
- wherein
- the heater circuit is adjusted at the outer surface portion by the heat controller responsive to the measurements at the inner surface portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.