Curved Sensor Housing for Flow Disruption Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sensors face challenges in designing a housing that minimally disrupts the flow of a medium while protecting the sensor element from direct impact, particularly in devices like shafts or pipes, where the sensor needs to measure parameters like temperature or humidity efficiently and reliably.
Innovation Solution
A sensor housing with a curved outer peripheral line, shielding elements, and deflection means that guide the medium to the sensor element without significantly altering the flow behavior, allowing for integral and accurate parameter measurement while preventing direct medium flow against the sensor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the sensor element is directly exposed to the medium flow, then the measurement response is fast, but the sensor element is damaged by direct impact
Solution Approach 1:
The housing acts as an intermediary structure that guides the medium flow to the sensor element through controlled pathways (inlet openings and deflection means) rather than direct exposure. This mediator structure protects the sensor from direct impact while still allowing the medium to reach the sensor for measurement, resolving the contradiction between protection and response speed.
2Reliability
If the housing has shielding elements to protect the sensor, then the sensor is protected from direct flow impact, but the flow behavior of the medium is disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The housing features a curved outer peripheral line that smoothly guides the medium flow around the housing structure. This curved geometry reduces flow separation and turbulence compared to sharp-edged designs, minimizing flow disruption while maintaining protection of the sensor element through the curved shielding structure.
3Measurement precision
If the housing has inlet openings to guide medium to sensor, then measurement accuracy is improved, but the housing structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The housing incorporates discrete inlet openings distributed around its perimeter, segmenting the flow path into multiple controlled channels. This segmentation allows the medium to approach the sensor from multiple directions, improving measurement representativeness while keeping each individual opening simple in structure.
4Measurement precision
If the housing has deflection means to direct medium to sensor, then integral measurement is enabled, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The deflection means are integrated into the housing structure itself rather than being separate components. The housing walls are shaped to directly deflect and guide the medium flow toward the sensor element, merging the protective shielding function with the flow guidance function into a single integrated structure, thereby reducing overall device complexity.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a measuring probe (1) having a housing (2) for receiving a sensor element (3). The measuring probe (1) can be inserted in an opening (52) of a device (5) for carrying a medium (M). The housing (2) comprises a curved outer circumference line (53) perpendicular to the insertion direction (7) of the housing (2) in the device (5).