Non-invasive measurement and calculation system
A non-invasive measuring device calculates a temperature of a medium in a container or conduit. The device includes at least one first sensor disposed on an exterior surface of the container or conduit and measures a temperature (T o ) of the exterior surface. The measuring device also includes at least one second sensor disposed on the exterior surface and measures a heat flux (q″) moving through a wall of the container or conduit. The measuring device further includes a processor operatively coupled to the first sensor and the second sensor. The processor is configured to receive the temperature (T o ) measurements and the heat flux (q″) measurements from the first sensor and the second sensor and to calculate a temperature of the medium in the container or conduit based on input variables about the container or conduit including radius, thickness and thermal conductivity of the material of the container or conduit.
1. A non-invasive measuring device configured to calculate a temperature of a medium in a container or conduit, the measuring device comprising:
a temperature sensor in thermal contact with an exterior surface of a container or conduit, the temperature sensor measuring and outputting a temperature (T o ) of the exterior surface;
a heat flux sensor in thermal contact with the exterior surface of the container or conduit, the heat flux sensor measuring and outputting a heat flux (q″) moving through a wall of the container or conduit;
an I/O controller operatively coupled to the temperature sensor and the heat flux sensor to receive the output temperature (T o ) and the output heat flux (q″) therefrom;
a digital communication device operatively coupled to the I/O controller for at least one of wired or wireless communication between the non-invasive measuring device and one or more data processing devices, the digital communication device receiving a value of at least one parameter used to calculate a temperature of the medium in the container or conduit, the value including a selectively inputted or adjusted value made at the one or more data processing devices based on at least one of a range of sensing temperatures or characteristics of the container or conduit; and
a processor operatively coupled to the I/O controller, the processor configured to receive the temperature (T o ) measurements, the heat flux (q″) measurements, and the value of the at least one parameter from the I/O controller and to calculate the temperature of the medium in the container or conduit;
wherein the calculated temperature (T calc ) is determined as follows:
T
calc
=
q
″
[
F
c
t
0
k
0
+
1
h
c
]
+
T
0
where:
T o =temperature is measured by the temperature sensor;
q″=heat flux per unit area is measured by the heat flux sensor;
F c =factor of a cross-sectional configuration of the container or conduit;
t o =wall thickness of the container or conduit;
k o =thermal conductivity of container or conduit material; and
h c =Empirical thermal contact conductance at the interface of the container or conduit and the non-invasive measuring device.
2. The non-invasive measuring device of claim 1 , wherein the container or conduit is cylindrical and wherein the factor (F c ) is determined as follows:
F
c
=
r
0
t
0
ln
(
r
0
r
0
-
t
0
)
where: r o =radius of outer wall of the container or conduit; and
t o =wall thickness of the container or conduit; and
wherein the calculated temperature (T calc ) is determined as follows:
T
calc
=
q
″
[
r
o
ln
(
r
0
r
o
-
t
o
)
k
o
+
1
h
c
]
+
T
o
.
3. The non-invasive measuring device of claim 2 , wherein the temperature sensor is a resistance temperature (RTD) sensor.
4. The non-invasive measuring device of claim 2 , wherein the heat flux sensor is a thin film thermopile sensor.
5. The non-invasive measuring device of claim 2 , wherein the temperature sensor and the heat flux sensor are disposed on the exterior surface of the container or conduit and provide the output temperature (T o ) and the output heat flux (q″) to the I/O controller.
6. The non-invasive measuring device of claim 2 , further comprising a housing configured to be affixed to the exterior surface of the container or conduit, the housing having an interior chamber enclosing the temperature sensor, the heat flux sensor, the I/O controller, and the processor at least partially therein.
7. The non-invasive measuring device of claim 6 , further comprising a selectively adjustable securing mechanism for attaching and for detaching the housing of the measuring device to the container or the conduit without mechanical tools.
8. The non-invasive measuring device of claim 7 , wherein the securing mechanism includes a flexible strap disposed about the exterior surface of the container or conduit and a latch that receives the flexible strap and is rotatable about a hinge portion between a closed position, wherein the latch applies tension to the flexible strap to tighten the flexible strap about the exterior surface and to attach the measuring device to the container or the conduit, and an open position, wherein the latch releases the tension applied to the flexible strap to loosen the flexible strap about the exterior surface to enable movement and to detach the measuring device from the container or the conduit.
9. The non-invasive measuring device of claim 2 , further comprising a tension spring biasing the temperature sensor and the heat flux sensor toward the exterior surface of the container or conduit.
10. The non-invasive measuring device of claim 2 , wherein the IO controller receives signals from input devices and sends signals to output devices.
11. The non-invasive measuring device of claim 10 , wherein the input devices include one or more of the temperature sensors, one or more of the heat flux sensors, and an analog-to-digital converter.
12. The non-invasive measuring device of claim 10 , wherein the output devices include at least one of a display device, a printer, a plotter, one or more data storage devices, or the one or more data processing devices.
13. The non-invasive measuring device of claim 10 , wherein the one or more data processing devices include input devices that are operable by a user to enter input including the value of the at least one parameter and to send the input to the processor of the measuring device for use in the calculation of the temperature of the medium in the container or conduit.
14. The non-invasive measuring device of claim 13 , wherein the input of the value of the at least one parameter includes at least one of an outer wall radius (r o ), a wall thickness (t o ), or a material thermal conductivity (k o ) of the container or conduit.
15. The non-invasive measuring device of claim 13 , wherein the input of the value of the at least one parameter includes a value of an empirical thermal contact conductance (h c ) at an interface of the container or conduit and the measuring device.
16. The non-invasive measuring device of claim 10 , wherein the one or more data processing devices include output devices for exhibiting to a user at least one of the value of the at least one parameter received by the processor of the measuring device or values of the temperature (T calc ) of the medium in the container or conduit.
17. A non-invasive measuring device configured to calculate a temperature of a medium in a container or conduit, the measuring device comprising:
a temperature sensor in thermal contact at an interface with an exterior surface of a container or conduit, the temperature sensor measuring and outputting a temperature (T o ) of the exterior surface;
a heat flux sensor in thermal contact at the interface with the exterior surface of the container or conduit, the heat flux sensor measuring and outputting a heat flux (q″) moving through a wall of the container or conduit;
an I/O controller operatively coupled to the temperature sensor and the heat flux sensor to receive the output temperature (T o ) and the output heat flux (q″) therefrom;
a digital communication device operatively coupled to the I/O controller for at least one of wired or wireless communication between the non-invasive measuring device and one or more data processing devices, the digital communication device receiving a value of at least one parameter used to calculate a temperature of the medium in the container or conduit, the value including a selectively inputted or adjusted value made at the one or more data processing devices based on at least one of a range of sensing temperature or characteristics of the container or conduit; and
a processor operatively coupled to the I/O controller, the processor configured to:
receive the temperature (T o ) measurements, the heat flux (q″) measurements, and the value of the at least one parameter from the I/O controller; and
calculate the temperature of the medium in the container or conduit based on the temperature (T o ) measurements, the heat flux (q″) measurements, the value of the at least one parameter including at least one of an empirical thermal contact conductance (h c ) at the interface of the container or conduit and the measuring device, a thermal conductivity of container or conduit material (k o ), or a factor of a cross-sectional configuration of the container or conduit (F c );
wherein when the container or conduit is cylindrical, the processor is further configured to:
calculate the factor of the cross-sectional configuration of the container or conduit (F c ) based on a radius of outer wall of the container or conduit (r o ) and a wall thickness of the container or conduit (t o ).
18. The non-invasive measuring device of claim 17 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
receive values of the radius of the outer wall of the container or conduit (r o ) and of the wall thickness of the container or conduit (t o ) from the digital communication device via the I/O controller.
19. The non-invasive measuring device of claim 17 , wherein the one or more data processing devices include input devices operable to selectively input the inputted or adjusted value of the at least one parameter.
20. A non-invasive measuring device configured to calculate a temperature of a medium in a container or conduit, the measuring device comprising:
a temperature sensor in thermal contact with an exterior surface of a container or conduit, the temperature sensor measuring and outputting a temperature (T o ) of the exterior surface;
a heat flux sensor in thermal contact with the exterior surface of the container or conduit, the heat flux sensor measuring and outputting a heat flux (q″) moving through a wall of the container or conduit;
an I/O controller operatively coupled to the temperature sensor and the heat flux sensor to receive the output temperature (T o ) and the output heat flux (q″) therefrom;
a digital communication device operatively coupled to the I/O controller for at least one of wired or wireless communication between the non-invasive measuring device and one or more data processing devices, the digital communication device receiving a value of at least one parameter used to calculate a temperature of the medium in the container or conduit, the value including a selectively inputted or adjusted value made at the one or more data processing devices based on at least one of a range of sensing temperatures or characteristics of the container or conduit;
a processor operatively coupled to the I/O controller, the processor configured to receive the temperature (T o ) measurements, the heat flux (q″) measurements, and the value of the at least parameter from the I/O controller and to calculate the temperature of the medium in the container or conduit; and
a thermal interface material disposed on the exterior surface, and wherein the temperature sensor and the heat flux sensor are disposed on the interface material in a side-by-side and non-overlapping arrangement;
wherein the calculated temperature (T calc ) is determined as follows:
T
calc
=
q
″
[
F
c
t
0
k
0
+
1
h
c
+
t
1
k
1
]
+
T
0
where: T o =temperature is measured by the temperature sensor;
q″=heat flux per unit area is measured by the heat flux sensor;
F c =factor of a cross-sectional configuration of the container or conduit;
k o =thermal conductivity of container or conduit material;
t 1 =wall thickness of thermal interface material;
k 1 =thermal conductivity of thermal interface material; and
h c =Empirical thermal contact conductance at the interface of the container or conduit and the non-invasive measuring device.
21. The non-invasive measuring device of claim 20 , wherein the container or conduit is cylindrical and wherein the factor (F c ) is determined as follows:
F
c
=
r
0
t
0
ln
(
r
0
r
0
-
t
0
)
where: r o =radius of outer wall of the container or conduit; and
t o =wall thickness of the container or conduit; and
wherein the calculated temperature (T calc ) is determined as follows:
T
calc
=
q
″
[
r
o
ln
(
r
0
r
o
-
t
o
)
k
o
+
1
h
c
+
t
1
k
1
]
+
T
o
.
22. The non-invasive measuring device of claim 20 , wherein the one or more data processing devices include input devices operable to selectively input the inputted or adjusted value of the at least one parameter.