System for measuring kiln conditions using thermocouples in combination with a mathematical model

Claim 1

MEANS FOR DETERMINING THE LOCATION OF MATERIAL BOUNDARIES WITHIN A ROTARY KILN HAVING ZONES OF GAS AND MATERIAL, COMPRISING: FIRST TEMPERATURE SENSING MEANS LOCATED WITHIN SAID KILN TO PROVIDE AN ELECTRICAL SIGNAL INDICATING THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID GAS; SECOND TEMPERATURE SENSING MEANS LOCATED WITHIN SAID KILM FOR PROVIDING AN ELECTRICAL SIGNAL WHICH, AT DIFFERENT TIMES DURING KILN ROTATION , INDICATES THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID GAS AND MATERIAL ZONES; CALCULATING MEANS, FOR PREDICTING THE READING OF SAID SECOND TEMPERATURE SENSING MEANS IN RESPONSE TO (A) THE ELECTRICAL SIGNAL FROM SAID FIRST TMPERATURE SENSING MEANS, (B) AN ELECTRICAL SIGNAL REPRESENTING THE ESTIMATED MATERIAL TEMPERATURE AND (C) AN ELECTRICAL SIGNAL FROM A MATHEMATICAL MODEL OF SAID SECOND TEMPERATURE SENSING MEANS; COMPARING MEANS RESPONSE TO SAID CALCULATING MEANS AND TO SAID SECOND TEMPERATURE SENSING MEANS FOR COMPARING THE PREDICTED READING AND ACTUAL READING OF SAID SECOND SENSING MEANS; AND MEANS FOR DEVELOPING A SIGNAL RESPONSIVE TO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SAID PREDICTED AND ACTUAL READINGS TO INDICATE THE BOUNDARIES BETWEEN SAID GAS AND SAID MATERIAL.