Multipoint sensor for determining an existing temperature profile of a medium, and method for producing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10768052-B2
Application number	US-201616063536-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2016
Priority date	Dec 18, 2015
Publication date	Sep 8, 2020
Grant date	Sep 8, 2020

Abstract

The invention relates to a multipoint sensor for determining a temperature profile of a medium and to a method for producing said multipoint sensor. The multipoint sensor includes a tubular sheath having a closed end region; at least two cylindrical spacers produced from a material having a high thermal conductivity and arranged in an axially-spaced manner in the interior of the sheath. Each spacer includes a recess for holding a temperature-sensitive component of an elongate temperature sensor. Each spacer, with the exception of the spacer closest to the closed end region, has through-bores for feeding through the elongate temperature sensors fastened to the preceding spacers. The number of through-bores of a spacer corresponds to the number of preceding spacers. A filling material, is arranged between the spacers and surrounds each of the elongate temperature sensors. The filling material has a lower thermal conductivity than the material of the spacers.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A multipoint sensor for determining a temperature profile of a medium, which temperature profile consists of several measurement points, comprising:
a tubular sheath having a closed end region;
at least two elongate temperature sensors, each elongate temperature sensor having a temperature-sensitive component;
at least two cylindrical spacers produced from a material having a high thermal conductivity,
wherein an outside diameter of each spacer substantially corresponds to an inside diameter of the sheath,
wherein the spacers are arranged one behind the other in an axially-spaced manner in the interior of the sheath,
wherein each spacer contains a recess for holding a temperature-sensitive component of an elongate temperature sensor, whereby a measurement point of the temperature profile is sensed in each case,
wherein each spacer, with the exception of the spacer located closest to the closed end region, has through-bores for feeding through the elongate temperature sensors fastened to the preceding spacer,
wherein exactly one elongate temperature sensor is fed through a through-bore so that the number of through-bores of a spacer corresponds to the number of preceding spacers; and
a filling material, which is arranged inside the sheath and between the spacers and which surrounds each of the elongate temperature sensors, wherein the filling material has a lower thermal conductivity than the material of the spacers.

2. The multipoint sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the filling material is additionally arranged between the closed end region of the sheath and the spacer located closest to the closed end region.

3. The multipoint sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the spacer located closest to the closed end region is positioned directly on the closed end region.

4. The multipoint sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the spacers are produced from a thermally-conductive ceramic material.

5. The multipoint sensor according to claim 4 , wherein the thermally-conductive ceramic material is boron nitride.

6. The multipoint sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the filling material is a powder.

7. The multipoint sensor according to claim 6 , wherein the powder includes a ceramic material.

8. The multipoint sensor according to claim 6 , wherein the powder includes aluminum oxide.

9. The multipoint sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the sheath is produced from a solid, bendable material.

10. A method for producing a multipoint sensor, comprising:
providing a sheath having a closed end region;
providing at least two spacers, each spacer having a recess and at least one through-bore;
providing at least two elongate temperature sensors, each elongate temperature sensor having a temperature-sensitive component;
positioning and fastening the temperature-sensitive component of an elongate temperature sensor in the recess of a spacer;
inserting the spacer with the temperature-sensitive component into the sheath and feeding a previously-inserted elongate temperature sensor though a through-bore in the spacer such that, with the exception of a spacer located closest to the closed end region, exactly one elongate temperature sensor is fed through a through-bore;
filling a filling material between two spacers that succeed one another, so that the filling material surrounds each of the elongate temperature sensors; and
closing of the sheath at an open end region opposite the closed end region.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the filling material is a powder, the method further comprising:
shaking the multipoint sensor during the filling and/or after each filling of the powder.

12. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the fastening of the temperature-sensitive component of an elongate temperature sensor in the recess of a spacer uses a thermally-conductive ceramic adhesive.

13. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the filling of the filling material takes place using a capillary tube.

14. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the filling material is additionally filled in between the closed end region of the sheath and the spacer located closest to the closed end region.

15. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the spacer located closest to the closed end region is positioned directly on the closed end region.

Assignees

• Endress Hauser Wetzer Gmbh Co Kg

Inventors

• Umkehrer Alfred
• Palma Luca

Classifications

• G01K13/00

  Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes · CPC title

• G01K2213/00

  Temperature mapping · CPC title

• G01K1/026 Primary

  arrangements for monitoring a plurality of temperatures, e.g. by multiplexing · CPC title