Fluid Sensor Waveguide Sealing for Environmental Reference Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas concentration measurement technologies face challenges in accurately accounting for environmental influences like temperature and humidity, leading to measurement errors, especially when measuring individual gas concentrations in ambient air.
Innovation Solution
A fluid sensor with a thermal emitter, waveguide section, and detector, where a cover structure seals part of the waveguide to suppress ambient fluid impacts, allowing for a reference measurement that corrects for environmental effects, improving measurement precision and adaptability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a reference measurement is performed without sealing the waveguide section, then the measurement setup is simple and easy to manufacture, but environmental influences such as ambient fluid, temperature, and humidity affect the measurement accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The waveguide section is divided into two distinct parts: a sealed reference waveguide section (with cover structure) and an open measurement waveguide section. This segmentation allows the reference measurement to be isolated from environmental influences while keeping the measurement section accessible to the ambient fluid, thereby resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The cover structure acts as an intermediary element that selectively blocks ambient fluid from reaching the reference waveguide section while allowing thermal radiation to pass through. This intermediary structure enables the reference measurement to be protected from environmental interference without requiring complete sealing of the entire sensor system
2Reliability
If the waveguide section is sealed to suppress ambient fluid impacts, then measurement accuracy improves by eliminating environmental interference, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor is segmented into sealed and unsealed regions, with only the reference waveguide section requiring the cover structure. This partial segmentation approach maintains measurement stability by protecting the reference path while minimizing manufacturing complexity compared to sealing the entire waveguide system
Solution Approach 2:
The cover structure is applied locally only to the reference waveguide section rather than the entire waveguide system. This local quality approach ensures that the reference measurement has the required stability and reliability while reducing manufacturing complexity and material requirements compared to complete sealing
3Adaptability or versatility
If environmental influences are not corrected, then the measurement system remains simple, but measurement errors increase due to temperature, humidity, and ambient fluid effects
Solution Approach 1:
The sealed reference measurement provides a feedback mechanism for environmental correction. By comparing the reference measurement (protected from environmental influences) with the open measurement, the system can calculate and correct for environmental effects such as temperature, humidity, and ambient fluid variations, thereby improving adaptability while maintaining reasonable system complexity
4Object-affected harmful factors
If a cover structure is added to seal the waveguide section, then protection from ambient fluid is achieved, but the device complexity and structural requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful influence of ambient fluid on the reference measurement is extracted or removed by sealing the reference waveguide section with a cover structure. This extraction approach protects the reference measurement from harmful factors while maintaining a relatively simple overall device structure by targeting only the critical reference path
Solution Approach 2:
The cover structure serves as an intermediary barrier between the ambient fluid and the reference waveguide section. This intermediary element selectively blocks harmful fluid contact while allowing thermal radiation to pass through, achieving protection from harmful factors without requiring complex structural modifications to the entire sensor system
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 solution enables precise gas concentration measurements by isolating environmental impacts, reducing measurement errors, and allowing for the determination of sensor parameters like aging and supply voltage fluctuations, enhancing measurement accuracy and reliability.
Implementation Method 1
a thermal emitter (120) arranged on the top main surface region (112) and configured to emit thermal radiation
Implementation Method 2
a waveguide section (140) arranged on the top main surface region (112) and configured to guide a portion of the thermal radiation, emitted by the thermal emitter (120), to the thermal radiation detector (130)
Data Source
AI summary
A fluid sensor for performing a reference measurement includes a support structure having a top main surface region; a thermal emitter on the top main surface region of the support structure; a first waveguide section and a first thermal radiation detector on the top main surface region of the support structure; and a cover structure on at least one part of the first waveguide section. The first waveguide section guides a first portion of the thermal radiation emitted by the thermal emitter to the first thermal radiation detector. The first thermal radiation detector detects the guided first portion of the thermal radiation for performing the reference measurement.