Integrated Boiler Sensor Assembly With Self-Health Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
HVAC systems face challenges with sensor failures due to thermal and chemical degradation, leading to inaccurate temperature measurements and potential system failures, particularly in harsh environments like furnaces and boilers, where multiple sensors are used but lack redundancy and complexity in monitoring and mounting, increasing costs and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A multi-sensor component integrating temperature, pressure, and presence detection functions within a single sensor housing, featuring a sensor monitor that verifies the health of detectors using a detection algorithm, including heating and thermal verification of temperature sensors to ensure accuracy and redundancy, reducing the need for separate devices and simplifying system integration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple individual sensors are used for temperature, pressure, and presence detection, then measurement reliability is improved, but device complexity and system cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple individual sensors (temperature sensor, pressure sensor, presence detector) into a single integrated sensor component. This merging approach maintains the reliability benefits of multiple sensors while reducing device complexity by eliminating separate mounting, wiring, and support components for each individual sensor.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated sensor component performs multiple functions simultaneously - temperature detection, pressure detection, and presence detection - within a single device. This multi-functionality approach reduces the overall number of components needed in the HVAC system while maintaining comprehensive monitoring capability.
2Measurement precision
If redundant sensors are used to verify sensor health, then measurement accuracy is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the sensor monitor and health verification algorithms into the same integrated sensor component. This allows redundant temperature sensors and health monitoring functions to coexist within a single device, verifying measurement accuracy without requiring separate external monitoring systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated sensor component performs self-diagnosis and health verification through built-in algorithms that monitor sensor performance and detect degradation. This self-service capability allows the system to verify measurement accuracy and detect sensor failures without external intervention or complex external monitoring circuitry.
3Ease of operation
If individual sensors are separately mounted and wired, then installation flexibility is improved, but ease of operation and system simplicity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sensor functions into a single integrated component that requires only one mounting location and one set of wiring connections. This eliminates the complexity of separately mounting and wiring multiple individual sensors while maintaining all necessary sensing capabilities within the HVAC system.
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
The multi-sensor component provides fail-safe operations, improved signal-to-noise ratio, reduced size and cost, and system simplicity by integrating multiple functions, enhancing the accuracy and reliability of temperature and pressure measurements while predicting potential sensor failures, thus ensuring safer and more efficient HVAC system operation.
Implementation Method 1
A common method of temperature measurement uses thermocouple transducers that output an EMF in response to a temperature gradient across two dissimilar materials
Implementation Method 2
a pressure sensor operable to measure a pressure of a medium against the sensor
Implementation Method 3
a presence detector operable to detect a presence of the medium in contact with the sensor
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method is presented for a multi-sensor component for an HVAC system. The multi-sensor component includes a sensor assembly, having one or more detectors, including a plurality of temperature detectors operable to measure a temperature of an object or a medium, a presence detector operable to detect the presence of the object or medium, and a pressure detector operable to measure a pressure of the medium. The multi-sensor component also includes a sensor monitor operably coupled to the detectors of the sensor assembly and configured to use a detection algorithm operable to detect one or more of the temperature, pressure and presence of the object or medium, the sensor monitor configured to verify a health of the one or more detectors of the sensor assembly, and also includes a sensor housing or thermo-well or combination thereof having the sensor assembly and the sensor monitor affixed therein.