Thermal profiling system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11092498-B2
Application number	US-201816149719-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 2, 2018
Priority date	Oct 2, 2017
Publication date	Aug 17, 2021
Grant date	Aug 17, 2021

Abstract

A thermal measurement system includes a thermocouple configured to couple to a location of a heating element of an electronic smoking article. The thermocouple is structured to measure a surface temperature of the location. A thermocouple data module is operatively connected to the thermocouple and is structured to receive data of the surface temperature from the thermocouple. A pneumatic system is configured to connect to an end of the electronic smoking article and draw an air flow through the electronic smoking article. The pneumatic system includes a solenoid valve having an open state that causes air to flow through the electronic smoking article. The solenoid valve has a closed state that prevents air flow through the electronic smoking article. An infrared camera is disposed over the viewing window. The infrared camera is configured to measure a wire temperature of a heating element wire of the electronic smoking article.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thermal measurement system comprising:
a thermocouple configured to couple to a location of a heating element of an electronic smoking article, the thermocouple structured to measure a surface temperature of the location;
a thermocouple data module operatively connected to the thermocouple, the thermocouple data module structured to receive data of the surface temperature from the thermocouple;
a pneumatic system configured to connect to an end of the electronic smoking article and draw an air flow through the electronic smoking article, the pneumatic system comprising a valve having an open state and closed state, wherein the open state causes air to flow through the electronic smoking article, and wherein the closed state prevents air flow through the electronic smoking article; and
an infrared camera disposed over a viewing window of the electronic smoking article, the viewing window disposed over a heating element of the electronic smoking article, the infrared camera configured to measure a temperature of the heating element of the electronic smoking article.

2. The thermal measurement system of claim 1 , further comprising a filter disposed in a flow path of the pneumatic system, the filter configured to minimize condensation in the thermal measurement system.

3. The thermal measurement system of claim 2 , wherein the filter is configured to capture aerosol-collected particulate matter in the air that flows through the electronic smoking article, and wherein the captured aerosol-collected particulate matter is used for gravimetric analysis to measure total particulate matter.

4. The thermal measurement system of claim 1 , wherein the thermocouple is a first thermocouple and the location is a first location, and further comprising a second thermocouple, a third thermocouple, a fourth thermocouple, and a fifth thermocouple.

5. The thermal measurement system of claim 4 , wherein:
the first thermocouple is disposed on a first location perpendicular to the heating element,
the second thermocouple is disposed on a second location directly under the heating element,
the third thermocouple is disposed on a third location perpendicular to the heating element,
the fourth thermocouple is disposed on a mouth piece of the electronic smoking article, the mouth piece downstream from the heating element, and
the fifth thermocouple is disposed on an outer surface of the electronic smoking article parallel to the heating element.

6. The thermal measurement system of claim 1 , wherein the location of the thermocouple on the heating element is disposed on the heating element, and wherein the surface temperature captured by the thermocouple and the temperature captured by the infrared camera are indicative of an emissivity of the heating element.

7. The thermal measurement system of claim 1 , further comprising a controller operatively connected to the pneumatic system, the controller configured to control opening and closing of the valve according to a puff regimen, the puff regimen associated with testing one or more characteristics of the electronic smoking article.

8. The thermal measurement system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to control opening and closing of the valve according to a target flow rate, the target flow rate associated with simulating a puff of the electronic smoking article.

9. The thermal measurement system of claim 8 , further comprising a human machine interface operably connected to the controller, the human machine interface configured to allow a user to start, stop, and alter operations of the pneumatic system.

10. The thermal measurement system of claim 1 , wherein the pneumatic system further comprises a vacuum pump configured to pull air through the electronic smoking article via a plurality of tubing systems.

11. The thermal measurement system of claim 10 , wherein the pneumatic system further comprises a valve controller operatively connected to the plurality of tubing system, the valve controller configured to provide and restrict flow through the plurality of tubing systems to achieve a square wave puff profile.

12. The thermal measurement system of claim 1 , wherein the pneumatic system is configured to simulate a smoking activity and a time component, the smoking activity comprising at least one of puff number, puff duration, and inter-puff interval, the time component comprising at least one of activity time, activity duration, and activity period.

13. The thermal measurement system of claim 1 , wherein the infrared camera is operatively connected to a computing system, the computing system comprising local memory structured to store data of the temperature of the heating element captured by the infrared camera.

14. The thermal measurement system of claim 1 , wherein the thermocouple data module is operatively connected to a computing system, the computing system comprising local memory structured to store data of the surface temperature from the thermocouple.

15. The thermal measurement system of claim 1 , wherein the valve comprises a solenoid valve.

16. A method for thermal measurement of an electronic smoking article, the method comprising:
activating a pneumatic system in accordance with a determined puff regimen, the determined puff regimen associated with testing one or more characteristics of the electronic smoking article, wherein the pneumatic system includes a vacuum pump configured to pull air through the electronic smoking article via a tubing system and a valve, and wherein the valve has an open state and closed state, wherein the open state causes air to flow through the electronic smoking article, and wherein the closed state prevents air flow through the electronic smoking article;
adjusting the vacuum pump to a determined target flow rate, the determined target flow rate associated with simulating a puff of the electronic smoking article;
opening the valve for a puff duration of the puff regimen;
capturing a surface temperature of a location of the electronic smoking article using a thermocouple coupled to the location of the electronic smoking article; and
capturing a temperature of a heating element of the electronic smoking article using an infrared camera.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
closing the valve for a pause duration of the puff regimen;
opening the valve for the puff duration of the puff regimen;
capturing a second surface temperature of the location of the electronic smoking article using the thermocouple; and
capturing a second temperature of the heating element of the electronic smoking article using the infrared camera.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
completing a puff cycle of the puff regimen, the puff cycle comprising:
closing the valve for a pause duration of the puff regimen;
opening the valve for the puff duration of the puff regimen;
capturing a surface temperature of the location of the electronic smoking article using the thermocouple; and
capturing a temperature of the heating element of the electronic smoking article using the infrared camera;

completing a plurality of puff cycles of the puff regimen to achieve a puff set; and
completing a plurality of puff sets of the puff regimen, wherein a plurality of surface temperature are captured using the thermocouple and a plurality of temperatures are captured using the infrared camera for each puff cycle of each puff set.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the thermocouple is a first thermocouple and the location is a

Assignees

• Reynolds Tobacco Co R

Inventors

• Szabo David T
• Reynolds Stephen C
• Strasser Josef
• Gammons Amanda S
• Kuhlman Michael R
• Pettenski Thomas
• Brand George
• Hofacre Kent C

Classifications

• G01K2213/00

  Temperature mapping · CPC title

• G01K7/02

  using thermoelectric elements, e.g. thermocouples · CPC title

• A24F7/00

  Mouthpieces for pipes; Mouthpieces for cigar or cigarette holders · CPC title

• G01J2005/0077

  Imaging · CPC title

• G01K13/00 Primary

  Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes · CPC title