Wire Bundle Temperature Monitoring via Virtual Current Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for monitoring temperature in wire bundles are inaccurate due to heat transfer from adjacent wires, leading to potential damage from undetected temperature increases, necessitating overdimensioning to ensure safety, which increases weight and complexity, particularly problematic in aircraft applications.
Innovation Solution
A method that calculates a 'virtual current flow' by combining current data from all wires in a bundle, considering recent heat retention, to determine the actual temperature of individual wires, allowing for precise load deactivation when thresholds are exceeded, eliminating the need for overdimensioning by accounting for heat transfer effects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If wires are monitored individually without considering heat transfer from adjacent wires, then the monitoring system is simple, but the temperature determination is inaccurate leading to potential damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines current measurements from all wires in the bundle with thermal memory data to calculate a virtual current flow that represents the actual temperature conditions. This merging of multiple measurement sources and historical thermal data enables accurate temperature determination without requiring individual temperature sensors for each wire, thus improving measurement precision while avoiding excessive system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a virtual current flow as an intermediary parameter that mediates between the easily measurable individual wire currents and the difficult-to-measure actual wire temperature. This virtual current flow serves as a calculated intermediate value that incorporates heat transfer effects from adjacent wires, enabling accurate temperature monitoring without direct temperature measurement
2Reliability
If wires are overdimensioned to compensate for undetected temperature increases, then safety is improved, but weight and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the virtual current flow calculation continuously incorporates current measurements from all wires and updates the thermal memory to reflect actual temperature conditions. This real-time feedback enables the system to detect when a wire is actually approaching dangerous temperatures due to heat transfer from adjacent wires, allowing for precise safety monitoring without requiring overdimensioning of the wires
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical approach of overdimensioning wires with a computational approach using virtual current flow calculation and thermal memory. Instead of increasing wire size to compensate for unknown temperature effects, the system uses electronic sensing and calculation to accurately determine actual wire temperatures, thereby maintaining safety while reducing weight
3Measurement precision
If individual wire temperatures are monitored without considering bundle heat transfer, then the monitoring system is simple, but temperature increases from adjacent wires remain undetected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a virtual current flow as an intermediary parameter that mediates between the easily measurable individual wire currents and the difficult-to-measure actual wire temperature. This virtual current flow serves as a calculated intermediate value that incorporates heat transfer effects from adjacent wires, enabling accurate temperature monitoring without direct temperature measurement
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual model (virtual current flow) that copies and represents the complex thermal interactions within the wire bundle. This virtual model replicates the heat transfer effects without requiring physical temperature sensors in each wire, making the monitoring system both accurate and practical
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 approach provides highly accurate temperature monitoring, enabling safe load deactivation based on actual wire temperatures without overdimensioning, reducing weight and complexity, particularly beneficial in aircraft by accurately managing heat transfer within wire bundles.
Implementation Method 1
which calculate the temperature generated in the wire by such current flow
Implementation Method 2
so that heat remaining in the individual wire due to recent current flow can be taken into consideration
Implementation Method 3
describes how to simulate the temperature distribution in a given wire bundle when currents are applied
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
For monitoring temperature of each of the electric wires in a wire bundle coupled with a power supply, wherein each wire is coupled with a load and wherein between the power supply and each load an electronic protective device is provided and wherein at least the electric current for each wire is compared to a predetermined threshold value and deactivation of a load is effected when such threshold value is exceeded, the current flows in all wires of the wire bundle are determined and values obtained are combined for obtaining a virtual current flow in the respective wire of the wire bundle, wherein upon exceeding said threshold value by the virtual current flow at least one load is deactivated.