Non-invasive measurement and calculation system

Abstract

A non-invasive measurement 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 to measure a temperature (To) of the exterior surface. The measurement device also includes at least one second sensor disposed on the exterior surface to measure a heat flux (q'') moving through a wall of the container or conduit, the measurement device further including a processor operably coupled to the first and second sensors, the processor configured to receive the temperature (To) and heat flux (q'') measurements from the first and second sensors and to calculate a temperature of the medium in the container or conduit based on input variables related to the container or conduit including a radius, a thickness, and a thermal conductivity of a material of the container or conduit.

Description

Copyright Notice

[0001] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by any person of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. [Technical field]

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to a measurement device and method for non-invasively calculating the temperature of a medium in a vessel or conduit, and more particularly to a measurement device and method for calculating the temperature of the medium without penetrating the vessel or conduit using heat transfer principles. [Background technology]

[0003] This description of the related art is provided to provide an overall context for the present disclosure. Unless otherwise stated, the information provided in this section is not prior art to the claimed invention(s) disclosed in this patent document, and no admission of prior art is made by inclusion herein.

[0004] In many industries, process variables such as pressure or temperature of a medium, e.g., a fluid, moving through a conduit, e.g., a pipe, or stored in a vessel, should be known to monitor and / or accurately control the process or process flow in a preferred or optimal manner. Some existing solutions for temperature measurement include, for example, the use of immersed temperature probes that are placed in the medium to be measured. Generally speaking, immersed probes are recognized to have a number of disadvantages, including but not limited to the following: · Relatively high installation costs for adding new measurement locations, including, for example, cutting conduits or vessels and welding fittings to carry the measurement equipment. · Relatively high costs for relocating or redeploying previously installed measuring equipment to another location. · Unless a thermowell is used, the process line must be shut down to replace, calibrate, or otherwise perform maintenance on a measurement device. If the medium is made of a corrosive or abrasive material, or if the material has current conditions that are relatively high temperature or pressure, the material may damage the measurement device; or · If process material accumulates on the probe, the accumulation can cause accuracy or response time challenges. Additional drawbacks in the use of submerged probes can include inaccuracies in the measurement configuration, e.g., to ensure accuracy, an accurate submerged length of about 15 times the diameter of the probe is preferred, and wake frequency calculations are required to ensure process pressures and flows do not damage the probe. In some embodiments, the use of a thermowell can help with many of the challenges and drawbacks presented herein, but the thermowell introduces other challenges, e.g., slow and inaccurate response times.

[0005] Accordingly, the inventors have determined that there would be many advantages if a process variable, such as the temperature of a medium moving through or within a conduit or vessel, could be measured without having to penetrate the conduit or vessel. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention resides in one aspect in a non-invasive measurement device configured to calculate a temperature of a medium in and / or passing through a vessel or conduit without penetrating the vessel or conduit. The measurement device includes a first sensor in thermal contact with an exterior surface of the vessel or conduit. The first sensor measures a temperature (To) of the exterior surface. The measurement device also includes a second sensor in thermal contact with the exterior surface of the vessel or conduit. The second sensor measures a heat flux (q'') moving through a wall of the vessel or conduit, the measurement device further including a processor operably coupled to the first sensor and the second sensor, the processor configured to receive the temperature (To) measurements and the heat flux (q'') measurements from the first sensor and the second sensor and to calculate a temperature of the medium in and / or passing through the vessel or conduit. In one embodiment, a thermal interface material is disposed between the first sensor, the second sensor, and the exterior surface of the vessel or conduit. It has been found that the thermal interface material improves the thermal contact between the sensor and the exterior surface due to imperfect heat transfer at the boundary / interface between, for example, the container or conduit and the sensor.

[0007] In one embodiment, the surface temperature sensor is a resistance temperature (RTD) sensor and the heat flux sensor is a thin film thermopile sensor. In one embodiment, the processor uses an empirical thermal contact conductance (hc) to calculate the temperature of the medium in and / or passing through the vessel or conduit. The thermal conductivity (hc) is a term related to imperfect heat transfer between the vessel and / or conduit and the sensor. In one embodiment, the thermal conductivity (hc) is used to account for variations in surface finishes and / or other mismatches between the vessel and / or conduit, for example, and is empirically derived from testing of heat transfer between various types (e.g., material constructions and / or finishes) of vessels and / or conduits and measurement devices.

[0008] In yet another embodiment, the measurement device further includes a housing configured to be attached to an exterior surface of a vessel or conduit. The housing has an interior chamber that at least partially encloses the first sensor, the second sensor, and the processor. In one embodiment, the measurement device further includes a selectively adjustable securing mechanism. The securing mechanism is used to attach and detach the housing of the measurement device to the vessel or conduit without mechanical tools. In one embodiment, the securing mechanism includes a flexible strap and a latch rotatable about a hinge portion between a closed position and an open position. In the closed position, the latch applies tension to the flexible strap to attach the housing of the measurement device to the vessel or conduit. In the open position, the latch releases the tension applied to the flexible strap to allow movement and removal of the housing of the measurement device from the vessel or conduit.

[0009] In yet another embodiment, the non-invasive measurement device includes a digital communication device operably coupled to the IO controller for at least one of wired and wireless communication, directly and / or via a communication network, between the measurement device and at least one of the one or more data processing devices and the one or more data storage devices. In one embodiment, the data processing device includes an input device operable by a user to input inputs including at least one of data, information, variables, and parameters and send the inputs to a processor of the measurement device for use in calculating the temperature of the medium in or passing through the vessel or conduit. In one embodiment, the input of at least one of data, information, variables, and parameters includes at least one of an outer wall radius (ro), a wall thickness (to), and a material thermal conductivity (ko) of the vessel and / or conduit. In one embodiment, the at least one thermal conductivity (hc) includes an empirical thermal conductivity (h) at the interface of the vessel and / or conduit with the non-invasive measurement device. In one embodiment, the more data processing device includes an output device for presenting to a user at least one of the data, information, variables and parameters received from the processor of the measurement device, including the value of the temperature (Tcalc) of the medium in the vessel or conduit.

[0010] In yet another embodiment, a non-invasive measurement device is configured to calculate a temperature of a medium in a vessel or conduit. The measurement device comprises a first sensor in thermal contact at an interface with an exterior surface of a vessel or conduit such that the first sensor measures a temperature (To) of the exterior surface. The measurement device also includes a second sensor in thermal contact at an interface with the exterior surface of the vessel or conduit. The second sensor measures a heat flux (q'') moving through a wall of the vessel or conduit, and the measurement device further includes a processor operably coupled to the first sensor and the second sensor, the processor configured to receive the temperature (To) measurements from the first sensor, the heat flux (q'') measurements from the second sensor, and an empirical thermal contact conductivity (hc) at the interface of the vessel or conduit and the measurement device, and to calculate a temperature of the medium in the vessel or conduit. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a simplified diagram of a non-invasive measurement device attached to the exterior surface of a conduit to calculate the temperature of a medium within the conduit, according to one embodiment. [Diagram 2] 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of a non-invasive measurement device attached to the exterior surface of a conduit taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1 in one embodiment illustrating the mechanical components of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 2 is a simplified schematic diagram of components of the non-invasive measurement device of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment. [Figure 4A] 2 is a simplified functional diagram of components of the noninvasive measurement device of FIG. 1, according to one embodiment. [Figure 4B] 2 is a simplified functional diagram of components of the noninvasive measurement device of FIG. 1, according to one embodiment. [Diagram 5] Temperature (° C.) versus time (sec) measurements from the non-invasive measurement device of FIG. 1 are compared with measurements from a conventional immersion temperature probe and from a conventional temperature sensor placed on the exterior surface of a conduit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] As described herein, the inventors have discovered an improved non-invasive measurement device and method for calculating a process parameter, such as, for example, temperature, of a medium in or passing through a vessel (e.g., a tank) or conduit (e.g., a pipe) using heat transfer principles. The non-invasive measurement device is referred to herein as a HANI™ sensor (HANI™ is a trademark of Omega Engineering, Inc., a subsidiary of Spectris, Inc., Norwalk, Conn., USA). Although the non-invasive measurement device and method for calculating a process parameter in a preferred embodiment is described using an exemplary installation on a pipe of a defined diameter or radius and the execution of an algorithm to calculate temperature readings over a period of time of the medium in and / or passing through the pipe, it should be understood that the invention is not limited by this exemplary embodiment. For example, the present invention applies to non-invasive measurement devices and methods for calculating process parameters, such as the temperature of a medium passing through or in any configuration of vessels or conduits, including those of various shapes, sizes, and / or material compositions, such as those having flat, square, rectangular, oblong and / or circular cross sections, at a measurement point on the surface of the vessel or conduit (e.g., the installation point of the measurement device).

[0013] 1-4 show one embodiment of a non-invasive measurement device 100. FIG. 1 is a simplified schematic diagram of a non-invasive measurement device 100 coupled to a vessel or conduit, such as a pipe 10, for calculating or determining a temperature of a medium, generally indicated at 12, where the measurement device 100 or a portion thereof resides in and / or passes through the pipe 10 without penetrating the pipe 10. The measurement device 100 includes a housing 120 configured to be mounted on or about an outer surface, generally indicated at 10A, of the pipe 10. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, a portion of the housing 120, generally indicated at 122, is adapted to receive at least a portion of the pipe 10 such that the outer surface 10A of the pipe 10 is in thermal contact with the measurement device 100, including a processing component 140 and a sensing component 160, FIGS. 2 and 3, of the measurement device 100 disposed within the housing 120, which will be described in more detail below.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1 , a selectively adjustable securing mechanism, generally designated 130, is attached to the housing 120 and deployable to secure the housing 120 around the pipe 10. In one embodiment, the securing mechanism 130 includes a flexible strap 132 and a latch 134. The strap 132 is disposed around the exterior surface 10A of the pipe 10 opposite the portion 122 of the housing 120. In one embodiment, one end of the strap 132 is releasably disposed around the latch 134. The latch 134 is closed or locked, for example, by rotating the latch 134 about a hinge portion 136 of the securing mechanism 130 and upwardly toward the housing 120 in the direction indicated by arrow 133. As the latch 134 is rotated toward the closed or locked position, tension is applied to tighten and secure the strap 132 against the pipe 10. It should be appreciated that when the latch 134 is opened or unlocked, e.g., rotated downwardly about the hinge portion 136 away from the housing 120 in a direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow 133, the applied tension is released and the strap 132 is loosened and is no longer held against the pipe 10. When the latch 134 is opened, the strap 132 is free to pass over or along the exterior surface 10A of the pipe 10 such that the housing 120 may be repositioned about or removed from the pipe 10. In one embodiment, the ends of the strap 132 may be selectively released from the latch 134 such that the measurement device 100 may be more easily completely removed from the exterior surface of the vessel or conduit.

[0015] While the selectively adjustable securing mechanism 130 is described above as including a flexible strap 132 and a latch 134, it should be understood that it is within the scope of this disclosure to provide other means for selectively securing the housing 120 around a vessel or conduit, e.g., a pipe 10. For example, in one embodiment, the securing mechanism 130 may include a segment adapted to receive at least a portion of the pipe 10, e.g., opposite the portion 122 of the housing 120. The segment and the housing 120 may each include one or more holes through which one or more fasteners, e.g., bolts or rods, may be inserted. Each fastener has threads on its exterior surface to receive a nut. When the nut is tightened onto the fastener, the nut and fastener cooperate to apply a compressive force to secure the housing 120 and the segment against the pipe 10. The fasteners (e.g., nuts and bolts) may be partially or completely loosened or unscrewed to release the compressive force and allow clearance between the segments and the housing 120 for repositioning and / or removal of the fastening mechanism 130 and the housing 120. Although the fasteners above are described as nuts and bolts, it should be understood that it is within the scope of the present invention to selectively secure the housing 120 around a vessel (e.g., a tank) or conduit (e.g., a pipe) using any other connection means known to one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0016] Although not shown in detail in FIG. 1 , it should be understood that the housing 120 includes an interior chamber 124 that encloses the tension spring 110, the thermal interface material 116, and the processing 140 and sensing components 160 of the measurement device 100. In one embodiment, the thermal interface material 116 is composed of, for example, a silicone-based gap filler material having a relatively high thermal conductivity. The thermal interface material 116 advantageously deforms to fill the gap between the sensing component 160 and the vessel or conduit (e.g., pipe 10) and conforms to the exterior surface 10A, eliminating or at least substantially minimizing inconsistent thermal contact therewith. Exemplary materials include, but are not limited to, clay, paste, or elastic materials.

[0017] As shown in FIG 2, which is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG 1, the non-invasive measurement device 100 is secured around the pipe 10. It should be understood that the housing 120 of the measurement device 100 is not shown in FIG 2 to more clearly show the components of the measurement device 100 disposed within the housing 120. For example, in one embodiment, the thermal interface material 116 is disposed around the outer surface 10A of the pipe 10 and below the sensing component 160 to improve thermal contact between the pipe 10 and the sensing component 160. The sensing component 160 includes at least one of a first sensor 162 and a second sensor 164, described in detail below, in thermal contact with the outer surface 10A of the pipe 10. The tension spring 110 provides a compressible force downwardly towards the exterior surface 10A of the vessel or conduit, e.g., pipe 10, to ensure that the first and second sensors 162, 164 are in good thermal contact with the exterior surface 10A of the vessel or conduit, e.g., pipe 10, and with the thermal interface material 116, if an interface material 116 is provided in the application. In one embodiment, a recess (not shown) is provided in the underside (e.g., wall or floor) of the housing 120 to receive the tension spring 110 and help direct the downward compressive force therefrom to hold the sensors 162 and 164 and the thermal interface material 116 (if used) against the exterior surface 10A of the pipe 10.

[0018] In one embodiment, it is seen as a preferred practice to clean the outer surface 10A of the pipe 10 or vessel immediately prior to installing the measuring device 100 to ensure good operational thermal contact between the pipe 10 and the measuring device 100 disposed on the outer surface 10A of the pipe 10 or vessel, e.g., free of interference from oil, dirt, dust, debris, rust, etc. It is understood that in one embodiment, it is also preferred to arrange the first sensor 162 and the second sensor 164 side-by-side (e.g., adjacent in a common measurement location for exposure to substantially the same environmental conditions), but not in an overlapping arrangement. It is also understood that in some embodiments, one or more of the at least one first sensor 162 and / or the at least one second sensor 164 may preferably be comprised of, for example, two or more first sensors 162 and / or two or more second sensors 164, from which measurements may be summed and averaged to provide the output of the first sensor 162 and the second sensor 164, respectively.

[0019] In one embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the processing component 140 of the non-invasive measurement device 100 may include a processor or CPU 142 operably coupled to a memory 144 and an input / output (IO) controller 146. The memory 144 includes a heat transfer algorithm HC144A stored therein and executed by the processor 142 to calculate or determine a process parameter, such as, for example, temperature, of a medium 12 in a vessel (e.g., a tank) or conduit (e.g., a pipe) and / or passing through the vessel or conduit (e.g., a pipe 10). As shown in FIG. 3, the IO controller 146 is operably coupled to an input device 150 and to an output device 170 for receiving signals therefrom and transmitting signals thereto. In one embodiment, the input device 150 includes a sensing component 160. For example, in one embodiment, the sensing component 160 includes at least one of a first sensor 162, generally indicated as sensor 1, and at least one of a second sensor 164, generally indicated as sensor 2. In one embodiment, the at least one first sensor 162 comprises one or more temperature sensors, such as, for example, one or more resistance temperature (RTD) sensors. In one embodiment, the at least one second sensor 164 comprises one or more heat flux sensors. In one embodiment, the input device 150 also includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 156 for receiving input signals from the sensing component 160 (e.g., the first sensor 162 and the second sensor 164) to provide signals to the IO controller 146.

[0020] As described herein and shown in Figures 3 and 4A-B, the first sensor 162 and the second sensor 164 of the non-invasive measurement device 100 cooperate to measure the temperature To on the exterior (e.g., outer surface 10A) of the conduit (e.g., pipe 10) and the heat flux q'' traveling through the wall (e.g., wall 10C shown in Figures 2, 4A-B) of the conduit (e.g., pipe 10), respectively. The temperature To measurements from the first sensor 162 and the heat flux q'' measurements from the second sensor 164 are communicated from the first sensor 162 and the second sensor 164 to the processor 142 as inputs to a heat transfer algorithm HC144A executed by the processor 142 to calculate or determine the temperature Tcalc of the medium 12 inside the pipe 10.

[0021] As described herein, the temperature Tcalc is calculated using the following equation (Equation 1) in applications where the thermal interface material 116 is not disposed against the exterior surface 10A of the conduit (eg, pipe 10).

number

[0022] It should be understood that in a particular configuration of a vessel or conduit, for example when the cross-section of the vessel or conduit at the installation or measurement point of the measurement device 100 includes one or more flat side walls (e.g., the conduit or vessel is non-circular), the vessel or conduit does not have a rounded shape, so the term ro*ln(ro / r-to) will approach to to.

[0023] In another embodiment, for example in an application where the thermal interface material 116 is placed against an exterior surface 10A of a conduit (eg, a pipe 10), the temperature Tcalc is calculated using the following equation (Equation 2):

number

[0024] Again, it should be understood that in a particular configuration of a vessel or conduit, for example where the cross-section of the vessel or conduit at the installation or measurement point of the measurement device 100 includes one or more flat side walls (e.g., the conduit or vessel is non-circular), the vessel or conduit does not have a rounded shape and therefore the term ro*ln(ro / r-to) will approximate to.

[0025] As mentioned above, in some embodiments of the present invention, a thermal interface material 116 is disposed around the outer surface 10A of the pipe 10 to improve thermal contact (thermal coupling) between the pipe 10 and the sensing component 160, which includes at least one first sensor 162 and at least one second sensor 164. The empirical thermal contact conductivity hc is a term related to imperfect heat transfer between the vessel (e.g., tank) and / or conduit (e.g., pipe) and the sensors 162 and 164 of the measurement device 100. This term is used to account for variations in surface finishes and / or other mismatches between the vessel (e.g., tank) and / or conduit (e.g., pipe). The term hc is derived empirically from testing heat transfer between various types (e.g., material compositions and / or finishes) of vessels (e.g., tanks) and / or conduits (e.g., pipes) and the measurement device 100. As the thermal interface material 116 improves the thermal conductivity between the outer surface 10A of the pipe 10 and the sensing component 160, the preferred performance of the thermal interface material 116 substantially minimizes the thermal contact conductance, 1 / hc, term (e.g., the term tends toward 0 (zero)). For example, through experimentation, the inventors have determined that the empirical thermal contact conductance value hc is relatively small for industrial conduits (e.g., pipes) with poor or rough surface finishes and relatively large for sanitary pipes with highly polished surface finishes where heat transfer is more ideal. In one embodiment, the empirical thermal contact conductance hc varies, for example, depending on the composition of the thermal interface material 116. For example, if the thermal interface material 116 is composed of a material well suited as a gap filler between containers or conduits (e.g., pipes 10), the empirical thermal contact conductance value hc is a higher value. For example, Table 1 provides a series of empirical thermal contact conductance values ​​hc for different types of conduits. The values ​​are shown in Table 1, where the thermal interface material 116 is comprised of a silicone-based thermal interface material and the conduit comprises a relatively highly polished sanitary pipe as compared to an industrial pipe having a relatively rough surface finish. [Table 1]

[0026] 3, once the temperature Tcalc is determined by the processor 142, the value may be communicated to one of the output devices 170, including, for example, a display device 172 for showing the calculated temperature Tcalc values ​​over a period of time, a printer or plotter (not shown) for printing or graphing one or more of the temperature Tcalc values, or a storage device for storing the temperature Tcalc values. In one embodiment, the noninvasive measurement device 100 includes a means for wired and / or wireless digital communication, for example a transmitter / receiver 148 operably coupled to the IO controller 146 to receive, for example, data, variables, and / or signals including data used within or generated by the processor 142 during operation of the measurement device 100, from one or more data storage devices 198 and / or one or more processing units 190, either directly or via a communication network 180, for example a local area network or a global network such as the Internet.

[0027] In one embodiment, output device 170 includes an analog output device 174 capable of interfacing, for example, with local process control and monitoring equipment directly or via a communications network 180 using an industry accepted standard current or voltage signal proportional to the measured temperature. Analog output device 174 may be located proximate measurement device 100, or analog output 174 may be coupled to one or more processing devices 190, with the output signal (e.g., Tcalc) being communicated via communications network 180. In one embodiment, one or more output temperature measurements, e.g., the calculated temperature Tcalc, are output and / or presented in one or more industry accepted units of measurement, such as, for example, Celsius (°C) or Fahrenheit (°F) temperature measurements.

[0028] In one embodiment, the one or more processing devices 190 are comprised of one or more general purpose computers, workstations, and / or portable computing devices, such as, for example, personal digital assistants (PDAs), laptop computers, tablet computers, Internet-enabled mobile wireless telephones, or similar portable computing devices. As known to those skilled in the art, the processing devices 190 each include a processor or CPU 192, a computer-readable medium or memory, and input-output devices 194 including a keyboard or other device 194A for input of data, information, variables, and / or parameters, a display 194B for showing input and output signals, and devices for facilitating communication over the network 180. The processor 192 of each of the processing devices 190 executes program instructions stored in memory, such that people operating the individual ones of the processing devices 190 can view output signals from the processor 142 of the measurement device 100 and / or can input and send values ​​as data, information, variables, and / or parameters as input to the processor 142 executing the heat transfer algorithm HC144A. For example, as described herein, the inputs may include adjustments to the variables and / or parameters used in Equations 1 and 2, including, for example, but not limited to, the range of sensed temperatures and deviations therefrom, the type, size, diameter, and material composition (metal and / or non-metallic materials) of the vessel (e.g., tank) and / or conduit (e.g., pipe), vessel and / or conduit outer wall radius (ro), wall thickness (t), and material thermal conductivity (ko), etc.

[0029] FIG. 5 is a time-temperature diagram showing measurements of temperature (°C) on the vertical axis (e.g., in a range of about 0°C to 40°C) and time (seconds) on the horizontal axis (e.g., in a range of about -7 to 175 seconds) for the non-invasive measurement device 100 of the present invention compared to measurements from a conventional immersion temperature probe and a conventional temperature sensor (e.g., a temperature sensor) placed on the exterior surface of a conduit.

[0030] The measurement data 200 shown in FIG. 5 was obtained during an experiment in which a liquid (e.g., medium 12) was moving through a pipe (as indicated by the arrows in FIGS. 1, 4A, and 4B). An immersion probe is placed in the pipe and in the path of the fluid. A non-invasive temperature sensor, such as, for example, a resistance type temperature (RTD) sensor, and the non-invasive measurement device 100 of the present invention are placed on the exterior surface of the pipe. During the experiment, the temperature of the fluid was rapidly changed from about 1° C. starting at about the 0 (zero) second mark to about 39° C. during the test cycle, and measurement data 200 (data points) were obtained from each of the immersion probe, the temperature surface sensor, and the non-invasive measurement device. A first line 202 plots the data points (temperature measurements at time increments) taken by the immersion probe. A second line 204 plots the data points obtained by the RTD surface sensor. A third line 206 plots data points acquired by the non-invasive measurement device 100, for example a HANI™ sensor.

[0031] Assuming that the immersion probe (line 202) is a relatively accurate representation of the actual temperature of the fluid in the pipe, given its direct contact with the fluid, Figure 5 illustrates the significant improvement in accuracy and response time of non-invasive measurement of the temperature of a fluid in a pipe comparing two surface mounted measurement techniques of an RTD surface sensor with the non-invasive measurement device 100 of the present invention. For example, as shown by line 204, the RTD surface sensor is found to have a slow transient response and is inaccurate by several degrees under steady state conditions. As described herein, when a similar surface mount RTD sensor (e.g., sensor 162) is used in conjunction with a heat flux sensor (e.g., sensor 164), with both the first sensor 162 and the second sensor 164 providing inputs to the heat transfer algorithm HC144A executed by the processor 142, the resulting calculated temperature Tcalc of the fluid (as shown on line 206) as provided by the HANI™ sensor (i.e., non-invasive measurement device 100) more closely approximates the actual temperature of the fluid moving through the tube represented by the immersion probe line 202. As shown in the graph of FIG. 5, line 206 has improved response time in transient conditions and improved accuracy in steady state.

[0032] In one embodiment where the heat flux sensor, sensor 164, is comprised of a thin film thermopile that averages the heat flux over the surface area of ​​the pipe 10, some advantages of a measurement device 100 employing this type of heat flux sensor include the following: Stability: By taking the average heat flux over an area, the measured energy transfer rate is found to be more stable than that of measurements taken at a single point, which may be affected by hot or cold spots on the surface of the pipe 10 due to inconsistencies such as rust, imperfections in the material, imperfections in the surface contact, imperfections in the material thickness, and buildup of material on the interior of the pipe 10. Modularity: The design allows for a modular approach by using the same heat flux sensor for a range of pipe diameters. The thin film average heat flux sensor is a flexible sensor, so when coupled with a tension spring (e.g., tension spring 110), it can be applied to many different pipe diameters, rather than a design where the pipe diameter must be known and accurate, and therefore the construction of measurement device 100 specific to accommodate the pipe diameter. Response time: When the heat flux sensor is constructed of a thin film thermopile type, the thermal mass is very small and can be directly coupled to the pipe or thermal interface material. This relatively small thermal mass and direct coupling is considered advantageous for providing a faster system thermal response time, which can result in faster measurement and control of the system. It can be seen that conventional temperature measurement techniques, even when they are used in non-invasive measurement systems, do not recognize the advantages of utilizing a heat flux sensor as described herein. Thus, it can be seen that conventional systems have slow response times compared to the measurement device 100. For example, when the temperature of the fluid in the conduit (e.g., pipe 10) is changing rapidly, the heat flux sensor conditions (e.g., q″ in Equation 1 and / or Equation 2) change rapidly before the entire system can react to the temperature change. In these transient temperature change conditions, the heat flux sensor (e.g., sensor 164) improves the response time of the non-invasive measurement device 100 compared to a conventional RTD surface sensor that is not coupled with a heat flux sensor (e.g., the configuration and cooperation of the first sensor 162 and second sensor 164 described herein).

[0033] It should also be appreciated that the non-invasive measurement device 100, which calculates or determines the temperature Tcalc of the medium 12 inside the pipe 10 using the heat transfer algorithm HC144A (including Equation 1 and / or Equation 2) executed by the processor 142, is in some embodiments relatively easily attachable, movable, and / or removable by design without the use of screws, bolts, or tools. For example, in one embodiment, the selectively adjustable fastening mechanism 130 includes a tension-adjustable flexible strap 132 that can wrap around and secure (e.g., by tension applied by latch 134) various diameters or portions of a conduit or vessel. As disclosed herein, the non-invasive measurement device 100 fits and works with existing conduits (e.g., pipes) or vessels (e.g., tanks) and does not require modifications to the existing conduit or vessel. Thus, adaptability is seen as an additional beneficial feature of the disclosed device 100. For example, the variables or parameters provided to the measurement device 100 are easily adaptable to a large combination of pipe materials and dimensions, for example, by allowing a user to specify pipe materials, diameters, and characteristics to the processing component 140 via a software / algorithm or physical (e.g., display or button) interface. In one embodiment, the non-invasive measurement device 100 and heat transfer algorithm HC144A include adjustments to the variables and / or parameters used in Equation 1 and / or Equation 2, for example, based on a user or customer's particular application, including, for example, but not limited to, the range of sensed temperatures and deviations thereof, the type, size, and diameter of the vessel (e.g., tank) and / or conduit (e.g., pipe), and the vessel and / or conduit outer wall radius (ro), wall thickness (to), and material thermal conductivity (ko), etc. In one embodiment, the heat transfer algorithm HC144A is adaptable for use with metallic and / or non-metallic vessels (e.g., tanks) and / or conduits (e.g., pipes), etc.

[0034] The foregoing description is merely illustrative of the present embodiments. Those skilled in the art may devise various alternatives and modifications without departing from the embodiments disclosed herein. Accordingly, the embodiments are intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations that fall within the scope of this disclosure and one or more of the appended claims.

Claims

1. 1. A non-invasive measurement device configured to calculate a temperature of a medium in a vessel or conduit, comprising: A first sensor in thermal contact with an exterior surface of the vessel or conduit, the first sensor measuring the temperature of the exterior surface (T a first sensor for measuring a temperature a second sensor in thermal contact with the exterior surface of the vessel or conduit, the second sensor measuring the heat flux (q'') traveling through the vessel or conduit wall; A processor operatively coupled to the first sensor and the second sensor, the processor receiving a measurement of temperature (T) from the first sensor and a measurement of heat flux (q'') from the second sensor. and a processor configured to receive the measurements and calculate the temperature of the medium in the vessel or conduit. Including, The calculated temperature (T) is determined by the following formula: [0010] Where: T: the temperature measured by the first sensor; q″: heat flux per unit area measured by the second sensor; Fc: A factor of the cross-sectional structure of the container or conduit t: wall thickness of the vessel or conduit, k o : Thermal conductivity of the container or duct material hc: Thermal conductivity at the interface between the container or conduit and the non-invasive measurement device is Non-invasive measuring device.

2. the vessel or conduit is cylindrical; The factor Fc is determined by the following formula: [0025] Where: ro: the radius of the outer wall of the vessel or conduit; t: wall thickness of the vessel or conduit and The calculated temperature (T) is determined by the following formula: [0030] The non-invasive measurement device of claim 1 .

3. The first sensor is a resistance temperature (RTD) sensor. The non-invasive measurement device according to claim 2.

4. The second sensor is a thin film thermopile sensor. The non-invasive measurement device according to claim 2.

5. The first sensor and the second sensor are disposed on the exterior surface of the vessel or conduit. The non-invasive measurement device according to claim 2.

6. a housing configured to be attached to the exterior surface of the vessel or conduit; The housing has an interior chamber at least partially enclosing the first sensor, the second sensor, and the processor therein. The non-invasive measurement device according to claim 2 .

7. a selectively adjustable fastening mechanism for attaching and detaching the housing of the non-invasive measurement device to the container or the conduit without mechanical tools.

7. The non-invasive measurement device of claim 6.

8. the securing mechanism includes a flexible strap and a latch, the flexible strap being disposed around the exterior surface of the container or conduit, the latch receiving the flexible strap and rotatable about a hinge portion between a closed position and an open position; In the closed position, the latch tensions the flexible strap to fasten the flexible strap to the exterior surface for attaching the non-invasive measurement device to the container or conduit; In the open position, the latch releases the tension applied to the flexible strap to loosen the flexible strap against the exterior surface to allow removal of the non-invasive measurement device from the container or conduit.

8. The non-invasive measurement device of claim 7.

9. a tension spring biasing the first sensor and the second sensor toward the exterior surface of the vessel or conduit. The non-invasive measurement device according to claim 2 .

10. an IO controller operably coupled to the processor of the non-invasive measurement device; The IO controller receives signals from input devices and transmits signals to output devices. The non-invasive measurement device according to claim 2 .

11. The input device includes one or more of the first sensor, the second sensor, and an analog-to-digital converter. The non-invasive measurement device according to claim 10.

12. The output device includes at least one of a display device, a printer, a plotter, and a data storage device. The non-invasive measurement device according to claim 10.

13. and a digital communication device operatively coupled to the IO controller for at least one of wired and wireless communication between the non-invasive measurement device and at least one of one or more data processing devices and one or more data storage devices. The non-invasive measurement device according to claim 10.

14. The one or more data processing devices include an input device operable by a user to input inputs including at least one of data, information, variables, and parameters and to send the inputs to the processor of the non-invasive measurement device for use in calculating the temperature of the medium in the vessel or conduit.

14. The non-invasive measurement device of claim 13.

15. The at least one input includes at least one of the outer wall diameter (r), wall thickness (t), and material thermal conductivity (k) of the vessel or conduit.

15. The non-invasive measurement device of claim 14.

16. At least one of the inputs of data, information, variables, and parameters includes an empirical thermal contact conductance (h) value at an interface between the vessel or conduit and the non-invasive measurement device. nothing 15. The non-invasive measurement device of claim 14.

17. The one or more data processing devices include an output device for presenting to a user at least one of the data, information, variables, and parameters received from the processor of the non-invasive measurement device, including a value of the temperature (T) of the medium in the vessel or conduit.

14. The non-invasive measurement device of claim 13.

18. 1. A non-invasive measurement device configured to calculate a temperature of a medium in a vessel or conduit, comprising: A first sensor in thermal contact with an exterior surface of the vessel or conduit, the first sensor measuring the temperature of the exterior surface (T a first sensor for measuring a temperature a second sensor in thermal contact with the exterior surface of the vessel or conduit, the second sensor measuring the heat flux (q'') traveling through the vessel or conduit wall; A processor operatively coupled to the first sensor and the second sensor, the processor receiving measurements of temperature (T) and heat flux (q'') from the first sensor and the second sensor. and a processor configured to receive the measurements and calculate a temperature of the medium in the vessel or conduit; a thermal interface material disposed on the exterior surface; Equipped with the first sensor and the second sensor are disposed on the thermal interface material in a side-by-side, non-overlapping arrangement; The calculated temperature (T) is determined by the following formula: [0045] Where: T: the temperature measured by the first sensor; q″: heat flux per unit area measured by the second sensor; Fc: A factor of the cross-sectional structure of the container or conduit k : thermal conductivity of the container or conduit material; t1: thickness of the thermal interface material, k1: the thermal conductivity of the thermal interface material, and h is the empirical thermal contact conductivity at the interface between the vessel or conduit and the thermal interface material. is Non-invasive measuring device.

19. the vessel or conduit is cylindrical; The factor Fc is determined by the following formula: [0050] Where: ro: the radius of the outer wall of the vessel or conduit; t: wall thickness of the vessel or conduit and The calculated temperature (T) is determined by the following formula: [006] 20. The non-invasive measurement device of claim 18.

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