Pipe Fluid Parameter Calculation Through Thermal Modeling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing industrial process sensors for measuring fluid parameters in pipes, such as pressure and flow, require invasive installations, posing safety risks and having unfavorable cost/performance ratios, while non-invasive solutions lack accuracy and are not commercially viable.
Innovation Solution
A system that calculates fluid parameters using a process model based on invasive temperature sensors, surface and reference temperature sensors, and nominal process parameters, without requiring additional invasive probes, by integrating a data interface and non-invasive sensors to determine fluid pressure and velocity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If invasive sensors are used to measure fluid parameters, then measurement accuracy is improved, but safety risks and installation complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses temperature as an intermediary parameter that can be measured non-invasively through the pipe wall. By measuring the temperature distribution on the pipe surface and using heat transfer models, the system indirectly determines fluid parameters (pressure, flow rate, velocity) without direct contact with the fluid, thus eliminating safety risks while maintaining measurement accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical/invasive measurement systems with a thermal field-based system. Instead of physically inserting sensors into the fluid, the system uses temperature sensors on the pipe surface combined with thermal conduction and convection models to calculate fluid parameters, substituting mechanical intrusion with thermal field analysis
2Reliability
If non-invasive pressure sensing is used, then safety risks are reduced, but measurement resolution and accuracy deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces temperature distribution as an intermediary that carries information about fluid pressure. By analyzing the temperature field on the pipe surface and using inverse heat transfer models, the system reconstructs pressure values without direct pressure sensing, achieving both safety and accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the measurement parameter from direct pressure measurement to temperature-based indirect measurement. By measuring temperature (which can be done non-invasively) and using thermal models to transform this data into pressure information, the system achieves accurate pressure measurement without the limitations of mechanical non-invasive sensors
3Measurement precision
If invasive temperature sensors are used, then fluid temperature measurement accuracy is improved, but installation complexity and safety risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the pipe wall and insulation layers as thermal intermediaries. By placing temperature sensors on the outer pipe surface and using heat transfer models that account for thermal conduction through the pipe wall and insulation, the system determines fluid temperature without breaking the pipe or installing invasive components
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the temperature measurement system multi-functional. The same non-invasive temperature measurement setup on the pipe surface serves dual purposes: directly measuring pipe surface temperature and, through thermal models, indirectly determining both fluid temperature and fluid parameters (pressure, flow rate), eliminating the need for separate invasive sensors
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
Enables accurate, non-invasive determination of fluid parameters like pressure and velocity, reducing safety risks and improving cost-effectiveness compared to traditional invasive methods.
Implementation Method 1
A surface temperature sensor disposed on a surface of the pipe, configured for determining a surface temperature of the pipe
Implementation Method 2
A process model, configured for determining at least one calculated process parameter of the fluid in the pipe by using the determined reference temperature, the determined surface temperature, the received process parameters and the determined fluid temperature
Data Source
AI summary
A system for determining at least one calculated process parameter of a fluid in a pipe includes a data interface receiving nominal process parameters, which relate to nominal parameters of a process that relates to the fluid in the pipe; an invasive temperature sensor that determines a fluid temperature; a reference temperature sensor disposed outside of the pipe for determining a reference temperature; a surface temperature sensor disposed at a surface of the pipe for determining a surface temperature; a process model that determines a process parameter by using the reference temperature, the surface temperature, the received nominal process parameters, and the determined fluid temperature.