Deformable Wall Pressure Sensor Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In pressure-sensing applications, it is challenging to physically isolate pressure sensors from the media being measured, especially in environments where the media is corrosive or requires sanitary/sterility guidelines, such as in medical, industrial, or food and beverage applications.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a deformable and incompressible media-isolating portion within a channel or vessel, combined with a pressure sensor and mounting mechanism that ensures the pressure sensing face is in intimate contact with the outer surface of the media-isolating portion, allowing for accurate pressure measurement without direct contact with the pressurized fluid or gas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a pressure sensor is physically isolated from the pressurized media using a deformable wall portion, then sensor integrity and sanitary compliance are improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to the wall acting as a compliance element
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a deformable wall portion made of elastomeric material that acts as both a media-isolating barrier and a pressure-transmitting element. This flexible film approach allows the sensor to be physically isolated from corrosive or sterile media while still accurately measuring pressure through the wall's deformation, which directly couples to the pressure transducer.
Solution Approach 2:
The deformable wall portion serves as an intermediary element between the pressurized media and the pressure sensor. It transmits pressure information to the sensor while blocking direct contact between the media and sensor, thus resolving the contradiction between isolation and measurement accuracy.
2Measurement precision
If a force concentrating mechanism is used to amplify pressure signals through a deformable wall, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The deformable wall portion itself acts as the force concentrating mechanism. By making the wall thin and flexible, pressure forces from the media are concentrated and transmitted directly to the pressure transducer, eliminating the need for separate mechanical force concentration components and reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple functions into the deformable wall portion: it serves as the media-isolating barrier, the pressure-transmitting element, and the force-concentrating mechanism simultaneously. This integration reduces device complexity while maintaining measurement precision.
3Measurement precision
If a mounting mechanism applies positive deformation to ensure intimate contact between the sensing face and outer surface, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting mechanism pre-deforms the deformable wall portion during installation to ensure intimate contact between the pressure sensing face and the outer surface. This preliminary action establishes optimal contact conditions before operation, eliminating the need for complex adjustment mechanisms during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting mechanism changes the physical state of the deformable wall by applying positive deformation, transitioning it from a relaxed state to a pre-loaded state that ensures consistent intimate contact with the sensing face, thereby improving measurement precision.
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
This solution enables accurate pressure measurement of pressurized media while maintaining physical isolation, ensuring sensor integrity and compliance with sanitary/sterility requirements, and providing a linear response over a range of pressures.
Implementation Method 1
a pressure transducer that generates a signal representative of a magnitude of mechanical stress applied to the pressure transducer
Implementation Method 2
The outer wall can include a wall portion that is deformable and incompressible
Implementation Method 3
a force concentrating mechanism that translates force applied to the pressure sensing face into mechanical stress on the pressure transducer
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
AI summary
In some implementations, a system includes a channel (100) or vessel, a pressure sensor (118) and a mounting mechanism. The channel or vessel can include a central region (103) and an outer wall (106), and the outer wall can be configured to contain a pressurized fluid within the central region. The outer wall can include a wall portion (109) that is deformable and incompressible and that has an inner surface (112) adjacent the central region and an outer surface (115) that is fluidly isolated from the central region. The pressure sensor (118) can include (a) a pressure transducer that generates a signal representative of a magnitude of mechanical stress applied to the pressure transducer, the pressure transducer having a first surface area; (b) a pressure sensing face having a second surface area that is larger than the first surface area; and (c) a force concentrating mechanism that translates force applied to the pressure sensing face into mechanical stress on the pressure transducer.