Dewpoint meter
US4826327A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 19, 1988 |
| Grant date | May 2, 1989 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 19, 2008 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N25/68
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A dewpoint meter has a sensor comprising a mirror (1) situated in a chamber (2) through which gas, the dewpoint of which is to be measured is passed through an inlet port (3) and an outlet port (4). The mirror (1) is cooled by a Peltier effect heat pump (11) and the formation of condensation on the mirror as it is cooled is detected by a detector comprising a light emitting diode (7) and a photodiode (8). The temperature at which condensation occurs, which is the dewpoint of the gas, is measured by a thermometer. Instead of transferring the heat from the heat pump (11) directly to a heat sink (13) as is usual, a heat pipe (12) is interposed between the heat pump (11) and the heat sink (13). This avoids the necessity for having the heat sink closely adjacent the mirror and thus avoids errors caused by heat from the heat sink affecting the temperature of the mirror.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.