Thermoelectric Icing Sensor Phase Transition Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing thermoelectric icing sensors lack accuracy in determining the phase transition temperature and quantitative characteristics of ice formation due to indirect measurement methods and external factors affecting heat exchange, leading to unreliable results.
Innovation Solution
A method using a thermoelectric icing sensor with a thermoelectric module, temperature sensor, and heat flux sensor, where the starting temperature is stabilized, and the sample is cooled and heated to detect phase transition temperatures through abrupt changes, with the sample weight determined using heat flux data, ensuring accurate phase transition temperature and quantitative characteristic measurement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the temperature sensor is placed near the cooled surface of the Peltier element to capture phase transition, then the sensor can detect the phase transition temperature, but the measured temperature is substantially below the true crystallization temperature due to overcooling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a thermal conductor as an intermediary element between the Peltier element and the temperature sensor. This thermal conductor serves as a heat transfer medium that couples the cooled surface to the sensor, enabling the sensor to accurately detect the true crystallization temperature without being affected by the overcooling phenomenon that occurs when the sensor is placed directly on the cooled surface.
2Measurement precision
If the Peltier element is used to cool the sample to detect phase transition, then the sensor can identify ice formation conditions, but the quantitative characteristics of ice formation cannot be reliably determined due to indirect measurement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a thermal conductor as an intermediary that also serves as a heat flux sensor. This thermal conductor allows direct measurement of heat flux during phase transition, enabling the system to determine quantitative characteristics of ice formation (such as ice layer thickness or mass) by measuring the actual heat transfer rate, rather than relying on indirect inference from temperature changes alone.
3Measurement precision
If empirical corrections are applied to compensate for overcooling effects, then the crystallization temperature can be estimated, but the reliability and accuracy of the measurement is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a thermal conductor as an intermediary that directly transfers heat from the cooled sample surface to the temperature sensor. This direct thermal coupling eliminates the need for empirical corrections by ensuring that the sensor measures the true crystallization temperature at the sample surface, thereby improving both the reliability and accuracy of the measurement without requiring corrective algorithms.
4Measurement precision
If the temperature sensor is positioned to capture the phase transition, then the sensor can detect the stable temperature during phase transition, but the measurement is affected by heat exchange with the environment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a thermal conductor as an intermediary that is thermally coupled to both the sample and the temperature sensor. This thermal conductor acts as a controlled heat transfer path that isolates the measurement from environmental heat exchange interference, allowing the sensor to detect the phase transition temperature without being affected by external thermal conditions.
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 method improves the accuracy of phase transition temperature and quantitative characteristic determination, providing reliable and precise measurements by stabilizing the starting temperature and using heat flux data to calculate sample weight, reducing errors from external factors.
Implementation Method 1
Typically, such sensors have a Peltier element, which is used to perform cyclic cooling and heating of the test sample within a temperature range that is near the crystallization temperature.
Implementation Method 2
The phase transition is captured based on a physical pattern when the crystallization or melting, as a phase transition of the first kind, releases a significant amount of heat at a constant temperature.
Implementation Method 3
when the crystallization or melting, as a phase transition of the first kind, releases a significant amount of heat at a constant temperature.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to the field of temperature measurement and heat measurement and can be used for the remote detection of icing. A method for determining the phase transition temperature and volume of a sample of liquid includes determining and stabilizing the starting temperature of a contact surface, and subsequently cooling said surface at a constant rate while taking readings from a temperature sensor and a heat flux sensor. The transition phase temperature in the cooling step is determined on the basis of an abrupt change in the temperature of the crystallizing sample. The crystallization end point is determined on the basis of a change in the heat flux. The contact surface is then heated to its starting temperature with readings being taken from the temperature sensor and the heat flux sensor, and the phase transition temperature in the step of heating the crystallized sample is determined on the basis of a change in the slope of the temperature-time curve at the point when the sample stops melting. The mass of the sample is determined on the basis of the heat flux-time curve. The result is more accurate measurement of both the phase transition temperature and the quantitative characteristics of the sample.