Concave Temperature Sensor Housing With Flexible Thermal Layer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing temperature measurement systems for tubes, particularly in Coriolis mass flowmeters, face challenges in providing reliable and accurate readings due to poor thermal contact and heat dissipation issues when using surface-mounted temperature probes, leading to significant measurement errors, especially at high and low temperatures.
Innovation Solution
A temperature measurement system featuring a housing with a concave contact surface and a flexible, thermally conductive intermediate layer that matches the tube's outer surface, combined with a thermally conductive cover to reduce heat loss and ensure intimate contact, allowing for improved heat transfer and reduced measurement errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a temperature probe is directly attached to the tube surface using conventional methods (glued, soldered, or brazed), then the installation is simple and the tube structure is not compromised, but the thermal contact is poor and heat dissipation occurs leading to unreliable temperature measurements
Solution Approach 1:
A temperature-conductive flexible intermediate layer is introduced between the temperature probe housing and the tube surface. This intermediate layer acts as a mediator that improves thermal contact by conforming to surface irregularities and filling gaps, thereby enhancing heat transfer from the tube to the temperature probe while maintaining the simplicity of surface mounting without penetration or complex attachment procedures
Solution Approach 2:
The contact surface of the temperature probe housing is designed with a concave curvature that matches the outer surface of the tube. This curved geometry increases the contact area between the housing and tube surface, improving thermal coupling and reducing heat dissipation losses, thereby enhancing measurement accuracy while maintaining external mounting simplicity
2Ease of operation
If the tube outer surface temperature is measured using conventional probes, then the measurement is easier to implement compared to internal probe insertion, but the results are often unreliable and incorrect due to poor thermal contact
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible intermediate layer serves as a thermal intermediary that bridges the gap between the temperature probe housing and the tube surface. It compensates for surface irregularities and ensures intimate thermal contact across the entire contact area, thereby improving the reliability of external surface temperature measurements while maintaining operational simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
A flexible thin film (intermediate layer) is used between the temperature probe and tube surface. This flexible film conforms to the tube's outer surface geometry, ensuring maximum contact area and reliable thermal coupling, thereby improving measurement reliability while keeping the installation process simple and non-invasive
3Measurement precision
If a temperature probe is inserted into the flow splitter of the flowmeter, then the temperature measurement may be more accurate, but the device becomes very complicated and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The temperature measurement function is extracted from the complex internal flow splitter structure and relocated to the external tube surface. By mounting the temperature probe externally with improved thermal contact through the flexible intermediate layer and concave contact surface, the system achieves reliable temperature measurement while avoiding the complexity and high cost of internal probe insertion and flow splitter modification
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system achieves reliable and reproducible temperature measurements by enhancing thermal conductivity and minimizing heat dissipation, resulting in accurate mass flow rate measurements even at temperatures far from the calibration point, reducing errors to less than 10% across the operating range.
Implementation Method 1
a temperature-conductive, flexible intermediate layer is arranged between the concave contact surface of the housing and the outer surface of the tube
Implementation Method 2
Adapting the form of the contact surface of the housing of the temperature sensor to the form of the outer surface of the tube enlarges the contact area between both parts. The thermal contact is further improved by means of the temperature-conductive, flexible intermediate layer
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a temperature measurement system for measuring a temperature of a tube, comprising a temperature sensor contained in a housing having a contact surface which is connected to an outer surface of the tube, wherein the contact surface has a concave form matching a form of the outer surface of the tube, and wherein a temperature-conductive, flexible intermediate layer is arranged between the contact surface and the outer surface of the tube. A further object is a flowmeter, particularly a Coriolis mass flowmeter, comprising the temperature measurement system.