Gas Sensor Discharge Device for Viscous Material
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods fail to accurately measure and verify the gas content, particularly dissolved air, in viscous materials like adhesives and casting resins, which is crucial for ensuring product quality and reproducibility, especially since visible and invisible gas inclusions can negatively impact the properties of the final product.
Innovation Solution
A discharge device and method that utilize a known gas mixture, preferably air, with either amperometric or optical sensors to measure the gas content, allowing for the determination of dissolved gases even at low volumes, ensuring the material meets pre-specified gas content thresholds before use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If thin-film degassing is used to remove gas inclusions, then the gas content is reduced, but the measurement and verification of gas content becomes impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism by continuously measuring the gas content in the material using optical sensors and using this information to control the degassing process. The measurement device provides real-time feedback about the gas content, allowing the system to adjust degassing parameters and verify when the material has achieved the desired gas content level, thus resolving the contradiction between reducing gas content and being able to measure it.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical measurement methods with optical measurement methods. Instead of relying on mechanical means to detect gas content, the system uses optical sensors that detect gas content through optical properties such as light absorption or scattering. This substitution enables non-intrusive, continuous measurement of gas content in viscous materials without disturbing the material or the measurement process.
2Measurement precision
If amperometric sensors are used to measure gas content, then the gas content can be measured, but the sensor consumes the gas being measured
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes amperometric sensors with optical sensors to measure gas content. Optical sensors detect gas molecules through their interaction with light (absorption, scattering, or fluorescence), rather than consuming the gas through electrochemical reactions. This replacement eliminates the gas consumption problem while maintaining the ability to measure gas content accurately in viscous materials.
3Reliability
If the material is kept under vacuum to facilitate outgassing, then gas inclusions are removed more effectively, but the complexity of the system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple functions into a single preparation container system. The container serves as both the storage vessel and the degassing chamber, eliminating the need for separate vacuum equipment. The optical measurement device is integrated directly into the container, allowing simultaneous monitoring of gas content and control of the degassing process. This multi-functionality reduces system complexity while maintaining effective degassing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the material's own properties and the preparation container to facilitate degassing. By maintaining a pressure gradient between the vacuum chamber and the material, and using optical sensors to monitor gas content, the system enables the material to outgas effectively without requiring complex external vacuum equipment or intervention. The measurement and control functions are built into the existing system architecture.
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 precise measurement and verification of gas content in viscous materials, ensuring the material is ready-to-use by maintaining a maximum permissible gas level, thus improving product quality and reproducibility by preventing gas inclusions that could affect electrical properties or other product characteristics.
Implementation Method 1
These optical sensors are usually based on the principle that an emitted, defined electromagnetic radiation is partially absorbed by the sample gas in the material, and thus the difference between the emitted radiation quantity and reflected radiation quantity is a measure of the gas content in the material.
Implementation Method 2
So-called Clark sensors are amperometric sensors and can measure the oxygen content in a liquid. They are sold, for example, by Mettler-Toledo and usually used in pharmacies, food technology, or in the brewing sector, because the oxygen content is frequently of interest there.
Data Source
AI summary
A discharge device for discharging a material comprising a liquid or paste, in particular self-leveling material. The device includes a consumer for discharging the material, a preparation unit having a preparation container for preparing the material, or a conveying unit for conveying the material from a storage container to the consumer. A gas sensor is used for determining gas content of a sample gas in the material. In some cases, the sample gas is a measuring component of a gas mixture to be measured in the material. In some examples, the material may not contain any gas at all. The amount of sample gas is determined as close as possible to the consumption location by means of a Clark sensor or an optical sensor. In the case of air, for example, the oxygen content is determined, and the total content of air in the material is calculated therefrom.