Pipe Surface Temperature Modeling for Non-Invasive Fluid Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for determining the temperature of a fluid flowing through a line body, such as pipes, are inaccurate and invasive, leading to disruptions and turbulence, especially in high-pressure and high-temperature processes, and fail to accurately measure dynamic temperature progressions.
Innovation Solution
A non-invasive method using a thermal model to calculate and correct the fluid temperature based on surface temperature measurements, employing a feedback loop with a Kalman filter to achieve rapid convergence to the true fluid temperature, utilizing a thermal model and a Kalman filter to estimate and correct fluid temperature values.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If contact temperature sensors are provided at the outer side of the pipe to measure temperature non-invasively, then the fluid flow is not disrupted and hygiene is improved, but the temperature measurement accuracy deteriorates due to thermal resistance and pipe wall thickness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the measured outer pipe temperature is continuously fed back to update the thermal model, which then provides corrected fluid temperature estimates. This iterative feedback loop compensates for thermal resistance effects and improves measurement accuracy without requiring invasive sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a thermal model as an intermediary between the outer pipe temperature measurement and the inner fluid temperature. This thermal model accounts for pipe wall thermal properties, heat transfer coefficients, and thermal capacitance to bridge the temperature difference between the measurable outer surface and the unmeasurable inner fluid.
2Device complexity
If single temperature sensors are used at the outer pipe side, then the device complexity is reduced, but the adaptability to dynamic temperature progressions and specific measurement conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically adjusts thermal model parameters such as heat transfer coefficients, thermal capacitance values, and pipe wall properties based on operating conditions including fluid flow rate, temperature progression speed, and pipe material characteristics. This allows the single sensor system to adapt to varying dynamic conditions accurately.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a dynamic thermal model that continuously updates the temperature distribution prediction based on real-time measured outer pipe temperature and current operating conditions. The model accounts for time-varying heat transfer characteristics and thermal capacitance effects to accurately track dynamic temperature progressions.
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
Provides accurate and non-invasive temperature measurement of fluids with dynamic temperature progressions, avoiding disruptions and turbulence, and achieving fast convergence to true fluid temperature values.
Implementation Method 1
the thermal model being suitable to calculate the time progression of the surface temperature of a measurement section of the outer side of the line body from a known time progression of the fluid temperature
Implementation Method 2
calculating the surface temperature of the measurement section of the outer side of the line body by means of the thermal model based on an estimated value of the fluid temperature
Implementation Method 3
correcting the estimated value of the fluid temperature such that the measured surface temperature based on the corrected estimated value of the fluid temperature in the thermal model is the most likely
Data Source
AI summary
A method for determining the temperature of a fluid flowing through a line body includes: generating a thermal model of the line body, the model being suitable for calculating the time curve of the surface temperature of a measurement section of the exterior of the line body from a known time curve of the fluid temperature; and continuously repeating the following steps: calculating the surface temperature of the measurement section of the line body exterior using the thermal model on the basis of an estimated value of the fluid temperature; measuring the surface temperature of the measurement section of the line body exterior; correcting the estimated value of the fluid temperature such that the measured surface temperature has the highest degree of probability on the basis of the corrected estimated value of the fluid temperature in the thermal model; and outputting the corrected estimated value of the fluid temperature.