Temperature Sensor Assembly Fixing Bolt Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing temperature sensor components for metallurgical plants face issues with unreliable temperature signal transmission due to optical waveguides not being in contact pressure with the bore wall, complex production processes, high manufacturing costs, and significant temperature errors from uncontrolled positioning of protective tubes.
Innovation Solution
A temperature sensor component with a circumferentially surrounding protective tube and a fixing bolt with a flat longitudinal side, where the bolt is inserted into the sensor bore with a positive fit, ensuring continuous contact with the bore wall and secure clamping of the protective tube, reducing thermal resistance and manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If optical waveguides are arranged in grooves without contact pressure against the bore wall, then the production process is simplified, but the temperature signal transmission becomes unreliable
Solution Approach 1:
The fixing bolt is pre-configured with a flat longitudinal side that creates a predetermined contact surface against the bore wall. This preliminary structural arrangement ensures that when the bolt is inserted, it automatically establishes reliable thermal contact with the bore wall, eliminating the need for complex groove structures while guaranteeing reliable temperature signal transmission through the optical waveguide.
2Reliability
If a custom-made support element with grooves and elastically deformable elements is used to fix the protective tube, then the protective tube can be pressed against the bore wall, but the manufacturing cost and device complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the complex support element with grooves and elastically deformable elements. Instead, it uses a simple fixing bolt with a flat longitudinal side that directly contacts the bore wall to secure the protective tube. This extraction of unnecessary components significantly reduces device complexity and manufacturing costs while maintaining reliable protective tube positioning and thermal contact.
3Ease of operation
If the protective tube is inserted without fixed positioning in the direction of the hot side, then the insertion process is easier, but uncontrolled movement occurs leading to significant temperature errors
Solution Approach 1:
The fixing bolt features an asymmetric flat longitudinal side that creates a predetermined contact surface against the bore wall. This asymmetric geometry provides fixed positioning in the direction of the hot side, preventing uncontrolled axial movement of the protective tube during insertion and operation. The asymmetric design ensures reproducible thermal contact conditions while maintaining ease of insertion, thereby eliminating temperature measurement errors caused by positioning variability.
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
This solution provides a cost-effective and reliable temperature measurement by ensuring secure fixation of the optical waveguide assembly, reducing thermal resistance, and minimizing manufacturing costs, while ensuring accurate temperature data transmission.
Implementation Method 1
the temperature sensor arrangement at least one optical waveguide, at least one the optical waveguide with radial play Circumferentially enclosing protective tube
Implementation Method 2
the protective tube inserted into the sensor bore is clamped between the long side and the bore wall
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a temperature sensor arrangement (3) for measuring the temperature of a component section (11) of a component (1) of a metallurgical plant, comprising at least one optical fiber (7), at least one protective tube (8) circumferentially enclosing the optical fiber (7) with radial clearance, which together with the optical fiber (7) inserted therein can be inserted into a sensor bore (2) on the component section (11), and at least one fixing bolt (9) that can be inserted into the sensor bore (2).To provide a more cost-effective and secure solution for fixing the protective tube (8) in the sensor bore (2), the fixing bolt (9) has at least one flat longitudinal side (10a) and is designed such that the fixing bolt (9) can be inserted into the sensor bore (2) in a form-fitting manner, such that the longitudinal side (10a) faces a hot side of the component section (11) and longitudinal edges (13a, 13b) of the longitudinal side (10a) are in continuous physical contact with a bore wall (12) of the component section (11) surrounding the sensor bore (2), wherein an outer diameter of the protective tube (8) and an outer contour of the fixing bolt (9) extending in the longitudinal direction are matched such that the protective tube (8) inserted into the sensor bore (2) is held in place when the fixing bolt is inserted into the sensor bore (2) in a form-fitting manner. (9) is clamped between the longitudinal side (10a) and the bore wall (12).