Petro-Chem Development Co. Inc.

Mike Duffield

Robert L Gibson

William C Gibson

James T Eischen

A probe for determining the heat flux in a direct-fired heater. The direct-fired heater is under a vacuum pressure. This vacuum pressure induces a small quantity of ambient air through a ceramic insulating tube and eventually into the heater. The induced air cools an absorber head and receptacle, causing heat to flow from a target to a base. The target is an outer surface of the absorber head exposed to radiant heat inside the direct-fired heater. The base is that portion of the absorber head and receptacle which has a surface exposed to cooling air within the ceramic tube. The vacuum pressure inside the heater causes ambient air to be induced into a second end of the ceramic tube. Air passages at a first end of the ceramic tube cause the induced air to flow past the base and into the heater. A thermocouple is fitted into a cylindrical slot inside the receptacle. First and second thermocouple wires extend from the thermocouple to a weatherhead, which has electrical contacts which connect to the first and second thermocouple wires and to instrumentation, such as a digital meter or other input, output device such as a microprocessor or computer for monitor and control of heat flux. After measuring the thermocouple temperature in the receptacle, one can then determine the heat flux through the target by experimental correlations.

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Tulsa, OK, United States of America

Mike Duffield