Thermal management in a pressure transmitter
First Claim
1. A miniaturized pressure transmitter, comprising:
- at least first and second thermal islands in a single housing that thermally separate a pressure sensor in the first thermal island from a heat generating electronic circuit included in the second thermal island;
wherein the first thermal island includes a fluid inlet, a pressure sensor configured to receive a pressure from the fluid inlet, and a temperature sensor sensing the temperature of the pressure sensor; and
wherein the second thermal island includes an electrical connector with an outer shell and a feedthrough with contacts, and a primary heat load device that is thermally coupled to the outer shell, the contacts configured to connect the transmitter to an external current loop circuit and to carry a transmitter output current, and a portion of the transmitter output current is conducted by the primary heat load device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A pressure transmitter with a transmitter housing having an outer wall providing thermal resistance. The outer wall extends from an isothermal island at a first end to a heat sink island at a second end. The isothermal island includes a fluid inlet, and pressure and temperature sensors. The heat sink island includes a primary heat load device that is heat sunk to an outer shell of an electrical connector. The connector contacts carry a current controlled by the transmitter, and a portion of the current is conducted by a primary heat load device. A circuit board controls the current to represent the pressure. A high accuracy, temperature compensated current output represents pressure.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A miniaturized pressure transmitter, comprising:
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at least first and second thermal islands in a single housing that thermally separate a pressure sensor in the first thermal island from a heat generating electronic circuit included in the second thermal island;
wherein the first thermal island includes a fluid inlet, a pressure sensor configured to receive a pressure from the fluid inlet, and a temperature sensor sensing the temperature of the pressure sensor; and
wherein the second thermal island includes an electrical connector with an outer shell and a feedthrough with contacts, and a primary heat load device that is thermally coupled to the outer shell, the contacts configured to connect the transmitter to an external current loop circuit and to carry a transmitter output current, and a portion of the transmitter output current is conducted by the primary heat load device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A miniaturized pressure transmitter, comprising:
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a transmitter housing with an outer wall providing thermal resistance, the outer wall separating an isothermal island formed in a first end of the housing from a heat sink island formed in a second end of the housing;
the isothermal island including a fluid inlet, a pressure sensor configured to receive a pressure from the fluid inlet and a temperature sensor;
the heat sink island including an electrical connector with an outer shell and a feedthrough with contacts, and a primary heat load device that is thermally coupled to the outer shell, the contacts configured to connect the transmitter to an external current loop circuit and to carry a current controlled by the transmitter, and a portion of the current being conducted by the primary heat load device; and
a circuit board electrically coupled to the pressure and temperature sensors and to the primary heat load device, the circuit board configured to control the current to provide a temperature-compensated, high accuracy representation of pressure. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A miniaturized pressure transmitter, comprising:
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an outer housing having a fluid inlet at a first end, an electrical feedthrough with contacts and an outer connector shell at a second end, the contacts configured to couple the transmitter to an external current loop, and an integral outer wall extending between the inlet and the connector shell, the housing having a central axis extending from the first end to the second end;
a transducer disposed in the housing having a pressure sensor fluidly coupled to the inlet and a temperature sensor, the pressure sensor being in thermal contact with the fluid inlet and the temperature sensor;
a circuit board electrically coupled to the transducer and having a controlled current output that is coupled to the contacts and that represents the pressure, the circuit board being arranged transverse to the central axis; and
a transistor that conducts a portion of the controlled current and that is thermally coupled to the connector shell, the integral wall having a length sufficient to thermally decouple the transducer from the transistor.
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Specification