Method of predicting the formation of water condensation
US5741067A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 25, 1996 |
| Grant date | Apr 21, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 25, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N25/68
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method of predicting the formation of water condensation on a surface in contact with humid air includes the steps of placing on the surface an element that adopts initially a temperature approximately equal to a temperature of the surface. The element is thermally cycled. Each cycle includes a cooling phase and a heating phase. The cooling phase includes first and second steps. Electric current is supplied to a cooling mechanism in the first step of the cooling phase to decrease the temperature of the element to below the temperature of the surface. An electric current is supplied to the cooling mechanism in the second step of the cooling phase to further decrease the temperature of the element. The current of the first step is greater than the current of the second step, such that the temperature of the element decreases more rapidly in the first step than in the second step. The formation of water condensation on the surface is predicted based upon the formation of water condensation on the element.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.