A non-invasive temperature sensor was awarded gold at the German Innovation Awards in the category Excellence in Business to Business – Electronic Technologies.
The device provides a non-invasive means of measuring the temperature of an industrial process, while maintaining the accuracy and responsiveness of conventional invasive sensors. The device is said to eliminate the risk of leakage, thereby enhancing the safety of people, plants and the environment. In addition, there are potential engineering and installation cost savings due to reduced inspections and impact on a plant’s process.
Temperature is seen as a critical process parameter used to ensure the safety, quality and energy efficiency of industrial plants. The non-invasive temperature sensor offers a simpler and safer way of measuring temperature, without the need to shut down, drill a hole or install a thermowell, or a thermometer mounted in a protective shield.
The technology solution lies in the double-sensor design of the measurement probe, combined with a model-based algorithm estimating the medium temperature. Two sensor elements located close to each other record the temperature and its local spatial distribution and dynamics over a short time scale. This information is then converted into a process temperature estimate.
ABB’s non-invasive temperature sensor was developed jointly by the group’s German corporate research center and its Measurement & Analytics business.