Bulk Material Test Chamber with Environmental Condition Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing test devices for measuring small-volume bulk materials fail to account for external environmental variables, leading to incorrect and non-reproducible measurement results.
Innovation Solution
A test device equipped with an environmental information system comprising sensors and/or multisensors to measure specific environmental parameters, which are converted into electrical signals and evaluated by a computer system to ensure measurements are taken under predefined conditions, allowing for comparable and reproducible results.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If environmental variables are not measured, then the device complexity is reduced, but the measurement precision deteriorates due to incorrect and non-reproducible results
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an environmental information system as an intermediary component that measures environmental variables (temperature, humidity, air composition) in the working chamber. This mediator system provides data about the measurement environment, enabling correction of measurement results without fundamentally changing the core measurement function, thus improving precision while adding only necessary complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The environmental information system continuously monitors environmental parameters and feeds this information back to the control system. This feedback mechanism allows the system to adjust measurements based on actual environmental conditions, ensuring reproducible results across different locations and times while maintaining a manageable device architecture.
2Reliability
If environmental parameters are measured and recorded, then the reliability of measurement results is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional sensors and computer systems
Solution Approach 1:
The computer system in the patent serves multiple functions: it controls the measurement process, stores measurement data, processes environmental parameter data, and generates corrected measurement results. By making the computer system multi-functional, the patent improves reliability through comprehensive data management without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the environmental information system with the existing measurement device, integrating temperature, humidity, and air composition sensors into the working chamber environment. This merging approach allows the system to gather both measurement data and environmental data through a unified platform, improving reliability while minimizing the increase in device complexity.
3Reliability
If environmental information is collected and processed, then the comparability of measurements across different locations is improved, but the loss of time increases due to additional data collection and processing steps
Solution Approach 1:
The environmental information system continuously monitors and records environmental parameters before measurements are taken. By having environmental data ready in advance and continuously available, the system eliminates the need for time-consuming environmental assessments during the measurement process, thus improving comparability without significant time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual environmental assessment and correction methods with an automated computer system that continuously collects, processes, and applies environmental corrections to measurement data. This substitution of automated digital processing for manual mechanical processes significantly reduces the time required while improving the accuracy and comparability of measurements across different locations.
Data Source
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AI summary
A test device (1) for measuring small-volume bulk materials is described. This test device (1) has a measuring device (23) in a working chamber (36), which includes at least one measuring station (34) in which the bulk material can be measured. An environmental information system is also housed in the working chamber (36) of the test device (1). This system has at least one sensor with which a specific environmental parameter can be measured and converted into an electrical signal. Based on the data obtained from the at least one electrical signal, the computer system checks whether the at least one measured environmental parameter lies within a predefined range of values. Furthermore, based on the data obtained from the at least one measured environmental parameter, the computer system can assign the measured values for a specific type of bulk material to the at least one measured environmental parameter.This makes measurements of a specific type of bulk material comparable and reproducible in a specific type of test device.