Temperature sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12474222-B2
Application number	US-202217702331-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2022
Priority date	Mar 25, 2021
Publication date	Nov 18, 2025
Grant date	Nov 18, 2025

Abstract

A temperature sensor, having a first conductor made of a first material comprising an end section, a second conductor made of a second material, which differs from the first material, comprising an end section, and a casing for receiving the end sections of the two conductors and for positioning in a process atmosphere or in a process fluid and/or on a surface of a process structure. According to the invention, a measuring point body structure is provided, which is arranged within the casing or on the casing, wherein the first conductor and the second conductor directly or indirectly form a thermocouple in or on the measuring point body structure and the measuring point body structure comprises a barrier material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A temperature sensor comprising:
a first conductor made of a first material comprising an end section; a second conductor made of a second material, which differs from the first material, the second conductor comprising an end section; a casing for receiving the end sections of the first and second conductors and for positioning in a process atmosphere or in a process fluid and/or on a surface of a process structure; and a measuring point body structure arranged within the casing or on the casing, wherein the first conductor and the second conductor directly or indirectly form a thermocouple in or on the measuring point body structure, wherein the measuring point body structure comprises a barrier material, and wherein, when compared at a same temperature, the barrier material has a lower diffusion coefficient for at least one foreign component than the materials of the first and second conductors, the at least one foreign component being present in the process atmosphere or in the process fluid or in the material of the casing or in the material of the surface of the process structure.

2 . The temperature sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the end sections of the first and second conductors are directly electrically connected to each other at a contact point, and wherein the contact point is within the barrier material of the measuring point body structure or the contact point abuts the barrier material of the measuring point body structure.

3 . The temperature sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the end sections of the first and second conductors are electrically connected to each other via at least one section of the measuring point body structure or via a section of the barrier material of the measuring point body structure and at least one section of the casing.

4 . The temperature sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the foreign component is formed of at least one of the following substances: carbon, or sulfur, or chromium, or nickel, or iron, or copper, or any component of the first and/or second material.

5 . The temperature sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the barrier material is or comprises: gold or a gold alloy, or platinum or a platinum alloy, or tantalum or a tantalum alloy, or tungsten or a tungsten alloy.

6 . The temperature sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second conductors are led to the casing with a sheathed thermocouple or a mineral-insulated cable.

7 . The temperature sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the casing is welded or attached to the surface of the process structure.

8 . The temperature sensor according to claim 1 , wherein a free internal volume of the casing is filled with an electrical insulating material or with a mineral or ceramic insulating material.

9 . The temperature sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the measuring point body structure is at least partially in direct contact with the process fluid or the surface of the process structure.

10 . The temperature sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the end sections of the first and second conductors are electrically connected to each other via one or more material sections of the measuring point body structure or via a section of the barrier material of the measuring point body structure.

11 . The temperature sensor according to claim 10 , wherein the measuring point body structure comprises a single measuring point body, wherein the measuring point body receives the end sections of the first and second conductors or at least is in direct contact with the end sections, and wherein the measuring point body is formed of the barrier material.

12 . A temperature sensor comprising:
a first conductor made of a first material comprising an end section; a second conductor made of a second material, which differs from the first material, the second conductor comprising an end section; a casing for receiving the end sections of the first and second conductors and for positioning in a process atmosphere or in a process fluid and/or on a surface of a process structure; and a measuring point body structure arranged within the casing or on the casing, wherein the first conductor and the second conductor directly or indirectly form a thermocouple in or on the measuring point body structure, wherein the measuring point body structure comprises a barrier material, and wherein, when compared at a same temperature, the barrier material has a lower diffusion coefficient for at least one intrinsic component than the materials of the first and second conductors, the at least one intrinsic component being present in the material of the first conductor or in the material of the second conductor.

13 . The temperature sensor according to claim 12 , wherein the intrinsic component of the material of the first conductor or the second conductor is:
chromium, when the first and second conductors form a K type or N type thermocouple, or nickel, when the first and second conductors form a T type thermocouple, or iron, copper, or nickel, when the first and second conductors form a J type thermocouple, or rhodium, when the first and second conductors form an R type or S type or B type thermocouple, or rhenium, when the first and second conductors form a C type or A type thermocouple, or any component of the first material or the second material, which does not occur in the other conductor material or only at a significantly lower concentration.

14 . A temperature sensor comprising:
a first conductor made of a first material comprising an end section; a second conductor made of a second material, which differs from the first material, the second conductor comprising an end section; a casing for receiving the end sections of the first and second conductors and for positioning in a process atmosphere or in a process fluid and/or on a surface of a process structure; a measuring point body structure arranged within the casing or on the casing; a third conductor made of a third material, the third conductor comprising an end section; and a fourth conductor made of a fourth material, which differs from the third material, the fourth conductor comprising an end section, wherein the first conductor and the second conductor directly or indirectly form a thermocouple in or on the measuring point body structure, wherein the measuring point body structure comprises a barrier material, and wherein the third conductor and the fourth conductor directly or indirectly form a reference junction in or on the measuring point body structure.

15 . The temperature sensor according to claim 14 , wherein the third conductor and/or the fourth conductor have a diameter greater than a diameter of the first conductor and/or the second conductor, and/or wherein the third material at least differs from the first and second material.

16 . A temperature sensor comprising:
a first conductor made of a first material comprising an end section; a second conductor made of a second material, which differs from the first material, the second conductor comprising an end section; a casing for receiving the end sections of the first and second conductors and for positioning in a process atmosphere or in a process fluid and/or on a surface of a process structure; and a measuring point body structure arranged within the casing or on the casing, wherein the first conductor and the second conductor directly or indirectly form a thermocouple in or on the measuring point body structure, wherein the measuring point body structure comprises a barrier material, wherei

Assignees

• Wika Alexander Wiegand Se & Co Kg

Inventors

• Staab Ulrich

Classifications

• G01K1/08

  Protective devices, e.g. casings · CPC title

• G01K1/143 Primary

  for measuring surface temperatures · CPC title

• G01K7/02 Primary

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

• H10N10/817

  the junction being non-separable, e.g. being cemented, sintered or soldered · CPC title

• H10N10/81

  Structural details of the junction · CPC title