Probe with integrated heater and thermocouple pack

Patent · 31 December 1989

OSTI ID:867331

McCulloch, Reg W ^[1]; Dial, Ralph E ^[2]; Finnell, Wilber K. R. ^[3]

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1. Oak Ridge, TN
2. Concord, TN
3. Kingston, TN

A probe for measuring heat includes an elongate rod fitted within a sheath, and a plurality of annular recesses are formed on the surface of the rod in a spaced-apart relationship to form annular chambers that are resistant to heat flow. A longitudinal bore extends axially into the rod and within the cylinders defined by the annular chambers, and an integrated heater and thermocouple pack is dimensioned to fit within the bore. In construction, the integrated pack includes a plurality of wires disposed in electrical insulation within a sheath and a heater cable. These wires include one common wire and a plurality of thermocuple wires. The common wire is constructed of one type of conductive material while the thermocouple wires are each constructed of two types of materials so that at least one thermocouple junction is formed therein. All of the wires extend the length of the integrated pack and are connected together at their ends. The thermocouple wires are constructed to form thermocouple junctions proximate to each annular chamber for producing electromotive forces corresponding to the temperature of the rod within the annular chambers relative to outside the chambers. In the preferred embodiment, each thermocouple wire forms two thermocouple junctions, one junction being disposed within an annular chamber and the second junction being disposed outside of, but proximate to, the same annular chamber. In one embodiment two thermocouple wires are configured to double the sensitivity of the probe in one region.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• Assignee: Delta M Corporation (Oak Ridge, TN) [*] Notice: portion of term of this patent subsequent to February 16, 2005 has been disclaimed.
• Patent Number(s): US 4915508
• OSTI ID: 867331
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/374/73/136/376/976/
annular
annular chamber
annular chambers
annular recess
annular recesses
apart relation
apart relationship
axially
bore
bore extends
cable
chamber
chambers
common
conductive
conductive material
configured
connected
constructed
construction
corresponding
cylinders
defined
dimensioned
disposed
disposed outside
double
electrical
electrical insulation
electromotive
electromotive force
elongate
elongate rod
embodiment
extend
extends
extends axially
fit
fitted
flow
forces
form
form annular
formed
formed therein
forms
heat
heat flow
heater
insulation
integrated
integrated heater
junction
junctions
length
longitudinal
material
materials
measuring
measuring heat
motive force
outside
pack
plurality
preferred
preferred embodiment
probe
producing
proximate
recesses
region
relationship
relative
resistant
rod
rod fitted
sensitivity
sheath
spaced-apart
spaced-apart relation
spaced-apart relationship
surface
temperature
therein
thermocouple
thermocouple junction
thermocouple junctions
thermocouple pack
thermocouple wire
thermocouple wires
thermocuple
type
types
wire
wire form
wires
wires disposed
wires extend