Enclosure Temperature Sensing with Compensation for Dynamic Heat
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Solution Overview
Problem
Thermostats face challenges in accurately determining ambient temperature due to dynamic heat sources like LCD backlighting, which can impair temperature sensing and lead to instantaneous errors in temperature calculation.
Innovation Solution
A compensation mechanism using a multi-term equation that accounts for dynamic thermal sources, incorporating a software time constant to soften step effects and calculate ambient temperature from multiple temperature sensors, allowing for accurate ambient temperature sensing independent of power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If temperature sensors are used inside the enclosure to measure temperature, then temperature sensing is enabled, but dynamic heat sources like backlighting cause instantaneous errors in temperature calculation
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary characterization of the enclosure's thermal response by measuring temperature at multiple locations under known static heat conditions. This preliminary data is used to create a thermal model that predicts how the enclosure responds to dynamic heat changes, allowing the system to compensate for backlighting effects before they corrupt temperature measurements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors temperature at multiple locations and uses feedback from these measurements to dynamically adjust the ambient temperature calculation. By comparing actual temperature readings with expected readings based on the thermal model, the system can identify and compensate for the influence of dynamic heat sources like backlighting in real-time.
2Measurement precision
If multiple temperature sensors are deployed in the enclosure, then temperature measurement coverage is improved, but the complexity of processing multiple temperature readings increases
Solution Approach 1:
The enclosure is divided into multiple thermal zones, each monitored by dedicated temperature sensors. This segmentation allows the system to capture temperature variations at different locations independently, providing more comprehensive coverage while organizing the data processing into manageable segments rather than treating all sensors as a single complex system.
Solution Approach 2:
A thermal model acts as an intermediary between the multiple temperature sensors and the final ambient temperature calculation. Instead of directly processing all sensor readings through complex algorithms, the thermal model serves as a mediator that translates multiple temperature measurements into compensated ambient temperature values, simplifying the overall processing complexity.
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 solution effectively compensates for dynamic heat sources, providing accurate and instantaneous ambient temperature calculations, even in the presence of rapidly changing heat conditions, thereby improving thermostat accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
The compensation mechanism using a multi-term equation that accounts for dynamic thermal sources, incorporating a software time constant to soften step effects and calculate ambient temperature from multiple temperature sensors
Data Source
AI summary
A mechanism for indicating ambient temperature of an enclosure from temperatures determined within the enclosure. The temperatures may be obtained from two or more sensors at each of two or more locations within the enclosure. The enclosure may include heat generating components such as electronics. The enclosure may also incorporate one or more dynamic components that emanate sudden amounts of heat. The present mechanism compensates for such heat sources with a compensating scheme.