Axial Angle Sensing Across Hydraulic Partitions Without Cable Seals
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing angle measurement systems in hydraulically pressurized environments face challenges in maintaining a long service life and minimizing costs due to the need for complex sealing of electronic cables through partitions between wet and dry areas.
Innovation Solution
A device with a sensor transmitter emitting a sensor signal axially and a transducer positioned axially spaced apart, allowing a permeable separating medium between them, eliminating the need for complex cable routing and sealing by using a permeable partition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If angle sensor leads are routed through a separating medium with sealing, then the sensor can be positioned in hydraulically pressurized area while electronics remain in dry area, but the sealing complexity increases and service life decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the electronic leads from the sealed penetration path and repositions them to start directly from the dry area on the sensor side, eliminating the need for sealed cable penetrations through the separating medium. This extraction of the problematic element (sealed cable path) resolves the contradiction by removing the source of sealing complexity while maintaining the functional separation between wet and dry areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a non-magnetic separating medium as an intermediary that allows magnetic field transmission while maintaining fluid separation. This intermediary enables the sensor in the wet area to communicate with electronics in the dry area through magnetic field coupling across the partition, eliminating the need for sealed cable penetrations and reducing sealing complexity.
2Reliability
If cable penetrations are sealed in the separating medium, then hydraulic fluid isolation is maintained, but manufacturing costs and installation complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the sealed cable penetration requirement by extracting the electronic connection path from the separating medium. The leads are positioned to originate directly from the sensor on the dry side, eliminating the need for sealed penetrations and reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining hydraulic isolation through the partition.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical sealed cable penetration system with a magnetic field-based signal transmission system across the non-magnetic partition. This substitution eliminates the need for mechanical sealing of cable penetrations, reducing manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining hydraulic isolation.
3Measurement precision
If sensor is placed directly in hydraulic fluid, then angle measurement is enabled, but the sensor is exposed to hydraulic degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the angle measurement system into two distinct parts: a sensor transmitter positioned in the wet area (hydraulically pressurized area) for angle measurement, and a sensor receiver positioned in the dry area for signal processing. This segmentation allows the sensor transmitter to be exposed to hydraulic fluid for measurement while the more vulnerable electronics remain protected in the dry area, separated by a non-magnetic partition.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables a cost-effective and robust angle measurement solution by separating sensor components across fluid boundaries without direct contact, simplifying installation and reducing maintenance costs.
Implementation Method 1
the sensor signal is a magnetic signal and/or the separation medium is a non-ferromagnetic material
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a device for angle measurement, comprising a sensor transmitter for rotationally fixed connection to a shaft whose angle of rotation is to be determined and for outputting a sensor signal, and a transducer for receiving and processing the sensor signal. The device is characterized in that the sensor transmitter is designed to output the sensor signal in the axial direction of the shaft, and the transducer is arranged axially spaced from the sensor transmitter to allow the placement of a separating medium, permeable to the sensor signal, between the sensor transmitter and the transducer.