Ferromagnetic element with temperature regulation
First Claim
1. In a temperature regulating device,a ferromagnetic element having a permeability well above one below its effective Curie temperature and a permeability of about one at its effective Curie temperature,first and second power supplies, said first power supply having a relatively small power output as compared to the power output of said second power supply,means for supplying the power output of said first power supply to said element,said first power supply including means for producing an alternating current output having a frequency so high that the skin depth of said alternating current flowing through said element is substantially greater at temperatures below said effective Curie temperature that it is at said effective Curie temperature,means for selectively supplying the output of said second power supply to said element to heat the same, said second power supply having a sufficient power output to heat said element above its effective Curie, andmeans controlled by the change in skin depth of the alternating current flowing in said element for se1ectively controlling the power from said second power supply to said element and thereby regulating the temperature of said element.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A ferromagnetic element has current passed through it either by direct electrical connections or by induction. The current through the ferromagnetic element may be far greater than is necessary to heat the element above its effective Curie temperature. As the element is heated and is passing through its effective Curie transition (that is its temperature is rising from below its effective Curie temperature to, or above, its effective Curie temperature) the change in permeability of the element is sensed and the current through the element is cut off. The element then cools. When the temperature falls below the effective Curie temperature, the full current is restored. The heating and cooling process repeats itself indefinitely. The result is that the element is maintained at its effective Curie by a pulsating current fed to the element. The Curie transition may be sensed by directly sensing changes in permeability as by an auto-transformer winding, on the element; or by sensing changes in the power to the element by reason of the change in resistance of the element as it passes through the effective Curie temperature.
47 Citations
36 Claims
-
1. In a temperature regulating device,
a ferromagnetic element having a permeability well above one below its effective Curie temperature and a permeability of about one at its effective Curie temperature, first and second power supplies, said first power supply having a relatively small power output as compared to the power output of said second power supply, means for supplying the power output of said first power supply to said element, said first power supply including means for producing an alternating current output having a frequency so high that the skin depth of said alternating current flowing through said element is substantially greater at temperatures below said effective Curie temperature that it is at said effective Curie temperature, means for selectively supplying the output of said second power supply to said element to heat the same, said second power supply having a sufficient power output to heat said element above its effective Curie, and means controlled by the change in skin depth of the alternating current flowing in said element for se1ectively controlling the power from said second power supply to said element and thereby regulating the temperature of said element.
-
3. In a temperature regulating device:
-
a ferromagntic element having a permeability well above unity at temperature well below the effective Curie temperature of said element, and control means for applying pulses of electric current to said element with each pulse heating said element to tis effective Curie temperature;
said element cooling between pulses,said control means including means for sensing the permeability of said element during each pulse and for terminating such pulse when such permability declines to a given value and for sensing the permeability of said element after the cessation of each pulse and for producing the next pulse only after said element has cooled so that its permeability is above said given value. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. Temperature regulating apparatus, for holding the temperature of a heating element substantially constant while such element is subject to varying cooling loads, comprising:
-
a heating element of the type that when in use is subject to a varying cooling load, said heating element including;
a ferromagnetic element having a permeability substantially greater than one when its temperature is below its effective Curie temperature and a permeability on the order of one when its temperature is above its effective Curie temperature,power delivery means feeding an electric current, through said element, of sufficient amplitude which if maintained continuously and indefinitely, would heat said element far above its effective Curie temperature, so that said element has a Curie transition characterized by a change in permeability of said element, and control means including means for supplying power to said element in the form of a series of pulses of current with each pulse rising to said amplitude, said control means comprising means for sensing said permeability during each pulse and at least reducing said electric current to said element to terminate the pulse in response to such pemreability falling to a give value during an increase in temperature in said element, said control means restoring said electric current to said element to start the next pulse only when said permeability is above said given value due to cooling of said element;
whereby a series of pulse is produced, each of which pulses reaches said amplitude, and each of which pulses is of greater duration for larger cooling loads than for smaller cooling loads;
said pulses holding said element at said substantially constant temperature. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. The method of temperature regulation, of a heating element subject to a variable cooling load, comprising:
-
providing said element with ferromagnetic material having a permeability considerably greater than one below its effective Curie temperature and a permeability on the order of one above its effective Curie temperature, subjecting said element to at least two cooling loads one of which is larger than another one, passing an electric current, of sufficient amplitude which if fed through said element for a prolonged period will heat said element well above its effective Curie temperature, through said element to heat said element at least to a temperature high enough so that at least a part of the Curie transition takes place, sensing at least part of said Curie transition and reducing the flow of said current through said element when at least part of said Curie transition is sensed, and restoring said current through said element to said amplitude, said sensing and restoring steps recurring alternately to thus provide a pulsating current that holds said element at about its effective Curie temperature and at all times prevents a rise in the temperature of said element substantially above its effective Curie temperature, said pulsating current comprising pulses of greater time duration for the larger cooling load than for the said another one. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
-
-
29. Temperature regulating apparatus, for holding the temperature of a heating element substantially constant while such element is subject to varying cooling loads, comprising:
-
a heating element of the type that when in use is subject to a varying cooling load, said heating element including;
a ferromagnetic element having a permeability substantially greater than one when its temperature is below its effective Curie temperature and a permeability on the order of one when its temperature is above its effective Curie temperature,a radio frequency power supply feeding current, through said element, of sufficient amplitude, that if maintained continuously and indefinitely, would heat said element far above its effective Curie temperature, so that said element has a Curie transition, said power supply having an output and also having the parameters of both current and voltage at said output, feedback means for holding one of said parameters, when the current is on, substantially constant at said output, and control means for sensing changes in the other of said parameters for turning said radio frequency power supply off and on to produce a series of pulses, said control means turning said power supply off when the permeability of said element falls to a given value due to the heating of said element. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
-
-
32. Temperature regulating apparatus as defined in claimed 29 in which said voltage is held constant.
-
33. The method of temperature regulation, comprising,
providing a ferromagnetic element having a permeability well above unity at temperatures well below the effective Curie temperature of said element, applying pulses of electric current to said element with each pulse heating said element to its effective Curie temperature, allowing said element to cool between pulses, sensing the permeability of said element during each pulse and terminating such pulse when such permeability declines to a give value, and sensing the permeability of said element after the cessation of each pulse and producing the next pulse only after said element has cooled so that its permeability is above said given value.
Specification