Embossed Sampling Substrate for Low Pressure Drop
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sampling systems for ambient fluids face significant pressure drops, limiting their use to active systems and increasing size and power requirements, while also reducing efficiency in capturing substances or signatures of interest.
Innovation Solution
A sampling device with a collector featuring a wound substrate with discrete embossments, maintaining adjacent layers in a spaced-apart configuration, which reduces pressure drop and allows for both active and passive system operation with reduced size and power requirements, and maintains sufficient residence times and affinities for capture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional packed bed sampling media is used, then sufficient capacity and absorbency for signatures of interest is achieved, but significant pressure drop occurs limiting use to active systems
Solution Approach 1:
The sampling media is divided into multiple discrete layers separated by spacers, transforming the traditional packed bed into a segmented structure. This segmentation maintains sufficient surface area for signature capture while creating flow pathways that reduce pressure drop across the collector
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a one-dimensional packed bed to a three-dimensional layered structure with vertical spacing. The spacers create depth dimension flow pathways, allowing fluid to move through multiple layers without experiencing the continuous resistance of a packed bed, thereby reducing pressure drop while maintaining capture capacity
2Reliability
If traditional sampling systems are used, then signature capture is achieved, but device size and power requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sampling media consists of thin layered structures rather than bulky packed beds. These thin films or sheets are stacked with spacers, creating a compact configuration that achieves sufficient capture capacity without requiring large device volume
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple sampling layers are nested within a compact housing structure. The layered configuration with spacers allows efficient space utilization, fitting multiple functional layers into a small volume while maintaining adequate flow pathways and capture surface area
3Reliability
If traditional sampling systems are used, then signature capture is achieved, but power requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The segmented layered structure reduces the energy required for fluid flow through the sampling media. By creating discrete flow pathways with spacers, the system minimizes resistance, allowing passive diffusion or low-power active pumping to achieve sufficient flow rates for effective signature capture
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 achieves a low pressure drop of less than 0.01 MPa at 1.5 L/min flow rate, enabling reduced device size and power requirements, and effective capture and analysis of substances or signatures in both active and passive systems.
Implementation Method 1
a wound substrate with discrete embossments that maintain adjacent layers in a spaced-apart configuration
Implementation Method 2
Each of the spaced-apart layers includes a (preferably embossed) substrate having a sorbent or adherent disposed thereon
Data Source
AI summary
A device (201) is provided for collecting a substance from an ambient fluid. The device includes a housing (205) equipped with an (207) inlet and an outlet (209) which are in fluidic communication with each other, and a collector (203) which has a plurality of spaced-apart layers (213). The collector is disposed in a fluidic flow path between the inlet and the outlet such that a flow of fluid passes through adjacent layers of the collector. Each of the layers includes a substrate (217) having a sorbent or adherent (219) disposed thereon, and a plurality of embossments (215) which maintains the layers in the spaced-apart configuration.