Device to control the functioning of a heat exchanger, heat exchanger comprising said device and corresponding control method based on the measurement of an electromagnetic field

Abstract

A device to control the functioning of a heat exchanger comprises an electric generator, suitable to generate an electromagnetic field, at least an emission element, connected to the electric generator and associable with the heat exchanger, to generate in the latter an electromagnetic field, at least a detection element, configured to detect a value of the electromagnetic field with respect to the value generated by the electromagnetic field, and a detector, connected to the detection element with an appropriate de-modulation and de-coding method to determine functioning conditions of the heat exchanger.

1 . A device to control the functioning of a heat exchanger, the devise comprising:
 an electric generator, associated to the heat exchanger and suitable to generate a medium- or high-frequency electromagnetic field;   at least an emission element, disposed in an emission point or zone, connected to the electric generator and associable to the heat exchanger, configured to generate an electromagnetic field;   at least a detection element, disposed in a detection point or zone, distanced from the emission element, and in such a manner that between the emission element and the detection element there is a zone of the heat exchanger, the detection element being configured to detect a value of the electromagnetic field received in the detection point, with respect to the value generated by the electric or electromagnetic field in the emission point;   a detector, connected to the detection element to determine functioning conditions of the heat exchanger as a function of the electromagnetic field detected in the detection point or zone.   
     
     
         2 . A control device as in  claim 1 , wherein the emission element and the detection element are metal conductors having a shape chosen from a group comprising:
 an elongated cable or a bar shape;   plate-shape;   mesh-shape;   spiral-shape; and   solenoid-shape.   
     
     
         3 . A control device as in  claim 1 , wherein the emission element and the detection element are separated, distanced and not in contact with each other. 
     
     
         4 . A control device as in  claim 1 , further comprising a frequency generator configured to determine at least a frequency with which the electric generator operates. 
     
     
         5 . A control device as in  claim 4 , wherein the frequency generator is configured to generate a frequency from about 100 kHz to 1 GHz. 
     
     
         6 . A control device as in  claim 1 , further comprising an external communication means, for sending data to external apparatuses, such as a heater or an external controller. 
     
     
         7 . A control device as in  claim 1  further comprising a feeder suitable to supply energy at least to the electric generator and to the detector. 
     
     
         8 . A method to control the functioning of a heat exchanger, the method comprising:
 generating an electric quantity;   generating an electromagnetic field, with a suitable modulation and encoding method, in the heat exchanger, by means of the electric quantity generated, in an emission point or zone;   detecting the electromagnetic field in a detection point or zone, distanced from the emission point or zone with an appropriate de-modulation and de-coding method, wherein between the emission point and the detection point there is a zone of the heat exchanger;   determining functioning conditions of the heat exchanger as a function of the electromagnetic field detected.   
     
     
         9 . A heat exchanger comprising the device of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         10 . A heater configured to supply heat to a heat exchanger comprising the device to control the functioning of the heat exchanger as in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         11 . A heater as in  claim 10 , wherein the control device comprises a timer device configured to obtain timed activations of the heater.