GB2516251A

GB2516251A - Constructal thermocouple device

Info

Publication number: GB2516251A
Application number: GB1312686.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Luis Miguel Pereira Horta
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2013-07-16
Filing date: 2013-07-16
Publication date: 2015-01-21
Anticipated expiration: 2033-07-16
Also published as: GB2516251B; GB201312686D0

Abstract

A thermocouple device comprising a junction of two dissimilar metal wires 12,13 which produce a voltage in a function of the temperature difference between first hot end of the wires 11 provided at the measurement side and a second cold end of the wires 14 providing a reference side; at least one end of the wires are split to form at least four branched tributaries where each wire is split into multiple branches and each branch of the first wire is joined to a branch from the other wire; the remaining length of wire not split into branches is covered by an insulating material. The thermocouple device has at least four branches, and may have eight, sixteen or more branches. The diameter of each wire decreases by a half at each branch section.

Description

Cons tructal thermocouple device This invention relates to thermocouple device.

Although there are plenty of different types of thermocouples, these devices are commonly used to determine temperatures based on voltage generation due to different metal wiring join with the Seebeck effect, with their most outlined limitation is the exactitude due to systems error less then 1°C being hard to obtain.

The present invention proposes the introduction of the tree shape in the extremities ends of both the "hot junction" or measuring junction and in the "cold junction" or reference junction (where the branches of the ramification ends join, while the remaining conductive metallic wires are covered by an insulating material); with a minimum of four tributaries; with eight tributaries, with sixteen tributaries, and so forth; each time there is a ramification, the diameter reduces to half, till it reaches the ends of the branches; with the modification of the different thermocouple types into tree shape modification.

This contributes with the effort towards exergy improvement with the tree shape wire structure and more temperature stabilization effort in the metals junctions in thermocouples.

Preferably, more tributaries towards exergy improvement effort.

Preferably, more tributaries towards temperature stabilization effort.

More details of the invention now be described by referring to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 shows a tree shape thermocouple with four tributaries (1) (2) (3) (4) in each extremity ends; the metals junctions in one extremity ends are in contact with an heat source, the "hot junction" or measurement junction; at the other extremity ends the other junctions which are with a different temperature, the "cold junction" or reference (isothermal) junction are connected to the tension meter wires.

Figure 2 shows the detail of the tree shape extremity, with four tributaries for contact with the heat source.

Figure 3 shows the electric outline of the thermocouple with four tributaries, the junctions of one of the extremities ends are in contact with a source of heat (the "hot junction"); and the other metals junctions in the other tree shape extremity are with a different temperature, the cold junction or reference isothermal junction, connected to the tension meter wires.

Figure 4 shows the detail of the tree shape extremity, with eight tributaries for the contact with the heat source.

Figure 5 shows the electric outline of the thermocouple with eight tributaries, the metal junctions ends from one of the extremities are in contact with a heat source; and the other junctions in the other tree shape extremity are with a different temperature (constant), the "cold junction" or reference junction, which connects to the tension meter wires.

In Figure 1, a tree shape thermocouple, in one of the extremities there are with four fleshed tributaries (1), (2), (3), and (4) with junctions of two different metallic wires that are in contact with a source of heat ("hot union") while the remaining thermocouple is covered by an insulating till the other extremity, where the tree structure of the two metallic wires with the four tributaries fleshed with a different temperature, "cold junction" or reference junction, and that are in contact with the wires of the tension meter.

In Figure 2, it is in prominence the representation with the four tributaries of the constructal extremity of the thermocouple, the "hot junction" or measurement junction, and each union among the two metallic wires.

In Figure 3, the electric outline of the tree shape thermocouple of four tributaries, where stands out the extremity in contact with the source of heat (8) the united metallic wires welded in the four tributary branches; the extremity of the reference temperature (9) the metallic wires in tree form (the "cold union"; the tension meter (10); the metal A (5); the metal B (7); the metal C (6) In Figure 4, it is the representation of the tree shape extremity of the thermocouple with the eight tributaries with two metals junctions, as well as a perspective where is evidenced the metallic wires and the insulating material between them and them with the exterior.

In Figure 5, the electric outline of the tree shape thermocouple of eight tributaries, where stands out in the extremity in contact with the source of heat (11) the metallic wires junctions in the eight tributaries branches; in the reference isothermal extremity (14) the metallic wires in tree shape linked to the metallic wires of the tension meter (the "cold union"); the tension meter (16); the metal A (12); the metal B (13); the metal C (15).

As we can see in the illustrations 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, the modified thermocouple in tree form can have four tributaries, eight tributaries, and so forth.