Bubble Trap Fluid Guide for Orientation-Resilient Bubble Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bubble traps are not robust enough to handle a wide range of operating conditions, including varying flow rates, bubble sizes, and device orientations, leading to ineffective gas bubble removal, particularly in mobile or unsteady environments.
Innovation Solution
A bubble trap device with a housing and a fluid guide that separates the chamber into two regions, using first and second conduits and a perimeter region to direct fluid flow through third conduits, ensuring effective bubble trapping regardless of orientation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an enclosed fluid chamber with misaligned inlet and outlet conduits is used, then gas bubbles are directed to the periphery of the chamber, but the device fails to robustly trap bubbles under highly unsteady flow conditions or abrupt orientation changes
Solution Approach 1:
The chamber is divided into multiple discrete trapping zones by introducing intermediate conduits that create separate regions. These segments allow bubbles to be captured in different locations depending on flow direction and chamber orientation, maintaining effective bubble trapping across highly unsteady flow conditions and abrupt orientation changes.
Solution Approach 2:
Intermediate conduits are introduced between the inlet and outlet conduits to act as mediators. These intermediate structures provide additional pathways that guide bubbles toward trapping zones, ensuring reliable bubble removal even when flow conditions are unsteady or the chamber orientation changes abruptly.
2Productivity
If the bubble trap is designed for specific flow rates and orientations, then bubble trapping is effective under those conditions, but performance deteriorates under a wide range of operating conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The bubble trap is designed with multiple conduits and trapping zones that serve different functions under different operating conditions. The intermediate conduits can facilitate bubble trapping across a wide range of flow rates and chamber orientations, making the device universally effective without requiring redesign for specific applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The multi-conduit design creates a dynamic system where different pathways and trapping zones become active based on real-time flow conditions and chamber orientation. This dynamic adaptability allows the bubble trap to maintain high productivity across varying operating conditions without performance deterioration.
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 device effectively traps gas bubbles across various orientations and flow conditions, maintaining fluid flow while minimizing bubble passage, as demonstrated by experimental data showing reduced spike frequency and consistent bubble accumulation volume.
Implementation Method 1
The fluid guide has a contour to direct fluid flowing between the first fluid conduit and the second fluid conduit to flow through one or more of the one or more third fluid conduits
Implementation Method 2
Gas bubbles can be detrimental to important applications such as medical interventions (e.g., dialysis machines) and biological cell experiments in microchannels
Implementation Method 3
gas bubbles emerging from the inlet conduit flowing into the outlet conduit
Data Source
AI summary
A bubble trap device is provided comprising: a housing including an inner wall region defining a chamber to enclose a fluid; a fluid guide; a first fluid conduit located within the fluid guide and extending between a first opening in the inner wall region and a first surface opening located in the first surface region; a second fluid conduit located within the fluid guide and extending between a second housing opening in the inner wall region and a second surface opening located in the second surface region; one or more third fluid conduits located at a perimeter region of the fluid guide and extending between the first chamber region and the second chamber region; wherein the fluid guide has a contour to direct fluid flowing between the first fluid conduit and the second fluid conduit to flow through one or more of the one or more third fluid conduits.