Fluorescence Spectral Shape Analysis for Oil Species Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluorometers are unable to accurately measure the concentration of different oil species in a liquid due to variations in fluorescence amplitude, leading to inaccurate results when calibrated for one species and encountering another.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus with a full scan UV to IR spectrometer and a microprocessor that analyzes the shape of the fluorescent response spectrum to identify the oil species and apply a calibration factor for precise concentration measurement, using a 3mW laser diode module as the excitation source.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a fluorometer is calibrated for one oil species, then it can accurately measure that species, but it produces inaccurate results when a different species is present
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses fluorescence spectral shape analysis instead of amplitude-based measurement. Different oil species produce distinct fluorescence spectral shapes, allowing the system to identify and accurately measure various species without recalibration. The microprocessor compares the measured spectral shape against stored reference shapes to determine both species identity and concentration.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from measuring fluorescence amplitude (single parameter) to analyzing fluorescence spectral shape (multiple parameters across different wavelengths). This parameter expansion allows differentiation between oil species that may have similar amplitudes but distinct spectral characteristics, resolving the contradiction between measurement accuracy and species adaptability.
2Device complexity
If a fluorometer uses a single wavelength detection, then the device is simple, but it cannot distinguish between different oil species
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adds a spectral dimension to the detection system by measuring fluorescence across multiple wavelengths rather than at a single wavelength. This dimensional expansion provides sufficient information to distinguish between different oil species while maintaining relative device simplicity through the use of a spectrometer and computational analysis.
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
Enables automatic identification of oil species and accurate concentration determination by comparing the measured spectrum to known references, providing reliable measurements across various oil species.
Implementation Method 1
Many oils have a natural fluorescence and so, commonly, such measurement apparatus measure the amount or concentration of oil by the detection of fluorescence
Implementation Method 2
a detector for detecting the fluorescent response of a target material over a range of frequencies to produce a response spectrum for the material
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of measuring the amount of a fluorescent material in a liquid, said method comprising the steps of exciting said fluorescent material and measuring the fluorescent response of the material over a range of wavelengths to determine a response spectrum, identifying the material from said response spectrum and determining the amount of said material as a function of the amplitude of the fluorescent response and a calibration factor based upon said identification of the material.