ICE THICKNESS PROBE, ICE THICKNESS PROBE ASSEMBLY AND ICE THICKNESS MONITORING APPARATUS

• US 20100052703A1
• Filed: 08/26/2008
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Evapco Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Evapco Incorporated
• Inventors: Kane, Jeffrey M., Marshall, Arthur J., VADDER, Davey J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,049,522 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/699
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 16/00 Devices using a combination of a cooling mode associated with refrigerating machinery with a cooling mode not associated with refrigerating machinery
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 20/028 Control arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/08 for measuring thickness
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/14 Thermal energy storage

Abstract

An ice thickness probe includes a longitudinally-extending probe rod, an insulator casing and a sleeve. The probe rod is fabricated from an electrically-conductive material. The insulator casing is fabricated from an electrically-insulative material and is wrapped around, is in contact with and extends along the probe rod. The sleeve is fabricated from a stiff yet resilient material and is wrapped around, is in contact with and extends along the insulator casing. The insulator casing and the sleeve are concentrically disposed about the probe rod as viewed in cross-section. An ice thickness probe assembly includes a frame structure, a reference bar and at least one ice thickness probe. An ice thickness monitoring apparatus is used in a thermal storage coil having a tank containing water and a tube disposed in the water so that, when the thermal ice storage coil is energized, ice is produced and accumulates on the tube.

Claims

1. An ice thickness probe, comprising:

a longitudinally-extending probe rod fabricated from an electrically-conductive material;

an insulator casing fabricated from an electrically-insulative material, the insulator casing wrapped around, in contact with and extending at least substantially along the probe rod; and

a sleeve fabricated from a stiff yet resilient material, the sleeve wrapped around, in contact with and extending at least partially along the insulator casing

wherein the insulator casing and the sleeve are concentrically disposed about the probe rod as viewed in cross-section.

2. An ice thickness probe according to claim 1, wherein the insulator casing is wrapped around the probe rod in a tight-fitting manner.

3. An ice thickness probe according to claim 2, wherein the sleeve is wrapped around the insulator casing in a tight-fitting manner.

4. An ice thickness probe according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve has a passageway extending longitudinally therethrough with a first sleeve end defining a first sleeve opening into the passageway and a second sleeve end disposed opposite the first sleeve end, the second sleeve end defining a second sleeve opening into the hollow passageway, the insulator casing received in the passageway has a first insulator casing end portion and a second insulator casing end portion disposed opposite the first insulator casing end portion, the first insulator casing end portion projects outwardly from the first sleeve opening.

5. An ice thickness probe according to claim 4, wherein the insulator casing has a insulator casing hole extending longitudinally therethrough with a first insulator casing end defining a first insulator casing opening into the insulator casing hole and a second insulator casing end disposed opposite the first insulator casing end, the second insulator casing end defining a second insulator casing opening into the insulator casing hole, the probe rod received in the insulator casing hole has a first probe rod end portion and a second probe rod end portion disposed opposite the first probe rod end portion, the first probe rod end portion projects outwardly from the first insulator casing opening, the second probe rod end portion and the second insulator casing end portion project outwardly from the second sleeve opening.

6. An ice thickness probe according to claim 5, wherein the second insulator casing end portion and second probe rod end portion project outwardly from the second sleeve opening and the second insulator casing end portion covers the second probe rod end portion.

7. An ice thickness probe assembly, comprising:

a frame structure including a support member and a pair of clamp members connected to the support member with the support member disposed between the pair of clamp members;

a reference bar connected to and extending from the frame structure, the reference bar fabricated from an electrically conductive material; and

at least one ice thickness probe connected to and extending from the frame structure with the at least one ice thickness probe and the reference bar being disposed apart from one another, the at least one ice thickness probe including a probe rod fabricated from an electrically conductive material.

8. An ice thickness probe assembly according to claim 7, wherein the support member includes at least one probe-receiving hole extending through the support member sized to slidably receive the at least one ice thickness probe.

9. An ice thickness probe assembly according to claim 7, further comprising at least one fastener and wherein the support member includes at least one threaded hole extending perpendicularly from and in communication with the probe-receiving hole, the at least one fastener and the at least one threaded hole in matable engagement with each other such that, when the probe-receiving hole receives the at least one ice thickness probe, the at least one fastener is advanced in the at least one threaded hole to contact the at least one ice thickness probe to secure the at least one ice thickness probe in the at least one probe-receiving hole.

10. An ice thickness probe assembly according to claim 7, wherein the support member extends in a length-wise direction, a width-wise direction and a height-wise direction and is rectangularly shaped as viewed in cross section in the width-wise and height-wise directions, the support member having a front surface, a rear surface, a top surface and a bottom surface with the front and rear surfaces extending parallel to one another in the length-wise and height-wise directions and the top and bottom surfaces extending parallel to one another in the length-wise and width-wise directions and interconnecting the front and rear surfaces, the support member includes at least one probe-receiving hole extending through the front and rear surfaces, the at least on probe-receiving hole is sized to slidably receive the at least one ice thickness probe.

11. An ice thickness probe assembly according to claim 7, wherein the reference probe is connected to the bottom surface of the support member.

12. An ice thickness probe assembly according to claim 11, wherein the reference bar includes a pair of arms and a cross member interconnecting the pair of arms to form a skewed U-shaped configuration.

13. An ice thickness probe assembly according to claim 12, wherein the pair of arms and the cross member interconnecting the pair of arms form an integral construction.

14. An ice thickness probe assembly according to claim 12, wherein the reference bar is fabricated from stiff yet resilient flat strip of electrically-conductive material.

15. An ice thickness probe assembly according to claim 12, wherein each one of the pair of arms has a connecting arm end portion integrally connected to opposing ends of the cross member, each one of the pair of arms extending from the connecting arm end portion and terminating in a free arm end portion.

16. An ice thickness probe assembly according to claim 15, wherein the reference bar is fastened to the bottom surface of the support member at respective ones of the free arm end portions.

17. An ice thickness probe assembly according to claim 7, wherein the support member extends in a length-wise direction, a width-wise direction and a height-wise direction and is rectangularly shaped as viewed in cross section in the width-wise and height-wise directions, the support member having a front surface, a rear surface, a top surface and a bottom surface with the front and rear surfaces extending parallel to one another in the length-wise and height-wise directions and the top and bottom surfaces extending parallel to one another in the lengthwise and widthwise directions and interconnecting the front and rear surfaces, the support member includes at least two probe-receiving holes extending through the front and rear surfaces and sized to slidably receive respective ones of the at least one ice thickness probe and the reference bar.

18. An ice thickness probe assembly according to claim 7, wherein each clamp member includes a first half-block clamp part and a second half-block clamp part releasably connected to each other, the support member is connected to and between respective ones of the first half-block clamp block parts.

19. An ice thickness monitoring apparatus adapted for use in a thermal storage coil assembly having a tank containing water and at least one coil tube initially disposed in the water so that, when the thermal ice storage coil assembly is energized, ice can be produced and accumulate on and around the at least one coil tube, the ice thickness monitoring apparatus comprising:

a frame structure releasably connected to the at least one coil tube;

a reference barconnected to and extending from the frame structure;

at least one ice thickness probe connected to and extending from the frame structure, the ice thickness probe and the reference bar being disposed apart from one another; and

a controller operative to transmit electrical signals to the reference bar so that the electrical signals received by the reference bar are transmitted to the at least one ice thickness probe via the water and operative to receive electrical signals detected by and from the at least one ice thickness probe in the water until the at least one ice thickness probe is enveloped in ice.

20. An ice thickness monitoring apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the at least one ice thickness probe includes a plurality of ice thickness probes, a first one of the plurality of ice thickness probes extending from the frame structure a first distance and a second one of the plurality of ice thickness probes extending from the frame structure a second distance being greater than the first distance.

21. An ice thickness monitoring apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the controller is operative to switch a light source in an ON state when ice envelopes the first one of the plurality of ice thickness probes and the controller is operative to de-energize the thermal storage coil assembly thereby discontinuing the production of ice when ice envelopes the second one of the plurality of ice thickness probes.

22. An ice thickness monitoring apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the plurality of ice thickness probes are disposed apart from one another and extending from the frame structure in a parallel manner.

23. An ice thickness monitoring apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the reference bar is disposed in a first plane and the plurality of ice thickness probes are disposed in a second plane, the first plane and the second plane being disposed apart from and extending parallel to one another.

24. An ice thickness probe, comprising:

a longitudinally-extending probe rod fabricated from a stiff yet resilient, electrically-conductive material; and

an insulator casing fabricated from an electrically-insulative material, the insulator casing wrapped around and in contact with the probe rod.

25. An ice thickness probe according to claim 24, further comprising a sleeve fabricated from a stiff yet resilient material, the sleeve being wrapped around and in contact with the insulator casing.

26. An ice thickness probe according to claim 25, wherein the insulator casing and the sleeve are concentrically disposed about the probe rod as viewed in cross-section.

27. An ice thickness probe according to claim 25, wherein the insulator casing extends at least substantially along the probe rod.

28. An ice thickness probe according to claim 27, wherein the sleeve extends partially along the insulator casing.

29. An ice thickness probe according to claim 24, wherein the insulator casing extends at least substantially along the probe rod.