US 12,245,722 B2
Scale detection systems and methods for aircraft beverage makers
Byron Devlin, Kansas City, MO (US); Derek J. Taylor, Olathe, KS (US); and Jeb Stewart, Honolulu, HI (US)
Assigned to B/E AEROSPACE, INC., Winston Salem, NC (US)
Filed by B/E AEROSPACE, INC., Winston Salem, NC (US)
Filed on Aug. 23, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/409,581.
Prior Publication US 2023/0053386 A1, Feb. 23, 2023
Int. Cl. A47J 31/56 (2006.01); A47J 31/52 (2006.01); A47J 31/58 (2006.01); A47J 31/54 (2006.01); G05D 23/24 (2006.01)
CPC A47J 31/58 (2013.01) [A47J 31/5253 (2018.08); A47J 31/56 (2013.01); A47J 31/542 (2013.01); G05D 23/24 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A beverage maker, comprising:
a heating system;
a temperature sensor operably coupled to the heating system;
a controller configured to receive measured temperature signals from the temperature sensor; and
a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon for that, in response to execution by the controller, cause the controller to perform operations comprising:
receiving, by the controller, a series of measured temperature signals from the temperature sensor;
calculating, by the controller, a change in temperature using the series of measured temperature signals;
determining, by the controller, an expected change in temperature using a system thermal model;
comparing, by the controller, the change in temperature to the expected change in temperature;
accessing, by the controller, previous heating system performance data stored in the heating system performance database;
comparing, by the controller, the change in temperature to the previous heating system performance data stored;
calculating, by the controller, an efficiency of the heating system based on the change in temperature;
estimating, by the controller, a scale buildup based on the efficiency of the heating system; and
storing, by the controller, at least one of the estimated scale buildup or the efficiency of the heating system in a heating system performance database.