Hydraulic Fluid Temperature Probe With Annular Recess
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Solution Overview
Problem
Temperature sensors in hydraulic vessels face inaccuracies due to competing thermal conduction routes between the vessel wall, environment, and fluid, leading to sensor temperatures differing from the fluid's temperature.
Innovation Solution
A temperature measurement system with an annular recess circumscribing a projecting sensor tip, which reduces net projection dimension while increasing thermal conductivity between the sensor and fluid, and minimizes thermal conduction away from the sensor, enhancing accuracy and response time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the sensor tip is inserted deeper into the hydraulic vessel to improve thermal contact with the fluid, then thermal conductivity between sensor and fluid improves, but thermal conduction away from the sensor through the barrier wall to the environment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an annular recess as an intermediary thermal management structure between the sensor tip and the barrier wall. This recess creates a thermal isolation zone that mediates between the fluid contact area and the barrier wall conduction path, allowing the sensor to achieve accurate fluid temperature measurement while reducing parasitic thermal conduction to the environment through strategic placement of thermal barriers at specific locations.
2Loss of energy
If the barrier wall thickness is increased to reduce thermal conduction to the environment, then thermal insulation improves, but thermal conduction from the fluid to the sensor decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating regions of different thermal conductivity within the barrier wall structure. The annular recess introduces localized thermal barrier zones with optimized thickness and material properties at specific locations, while other regions maintain different characteristics. This spatial variation in thermal properties allows simultaneous optimization of fluid-to-sensor heat transfer and environment-isolation heat blocking.
3Measurement precision
If the sensor projection dimension is increased to improve thermal contact with the fluid, then thermal conductivity improves, but the sensor becomes more susceptible to thermal conduction through the barrier wall
Solution Approach 1:
The patent solves the contradiction by transitioning from a one-dimensional sensor projection model to a two-dimensional annular recess configuration. Instead of simply increasing the linear projection dimension, the invention creates a circumferential recess structure that provides thermal contact with the fluid across an annular area while positioning thermal barriers radially and axially at optimized locations, effectively adding spatial dimensions to the thermal management approach.
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 system achieves accurate and fast temperature measurement by maintaining the sensor at a temperature close to the fluid's temperature, with improved thermal conductivity and resistance management, effectively reducing temperature discrepancies.
Implementation Method 1
Measuring temperatures of a fluid in a hydraulic vessel can be performed by providing thermal conduction between a temperature sensor and the fluid in the hydraulic vessel
Implementation Method 2
The barrier wall can also provide thermal coupling within the barrier wall from a center of the sensing tip to the periphery of the sensing tip
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2
AI summary
Apparatus and associated methods relate to measuring temperature of a fluid within a hydraulic vessel using a temperature probe that has an annular recess (22) circumscribing a projecting sensor tip (20). The annular recess is configured to permit fluid flow into an aperture region of a vessel wall (12) through which the temperature probe contacts the fluid within the hydraulic vessel. Because the temperature probe projects from the annular recess within the aperture, a net projection dimension (38), as measured in a projection direction from an interior surface of the vessel wall proximate the aperture to a sensor (44), is less than a gross projection dimension, as measured in the projection direction from a bottom of the annular recess to the sensor tip. In some embodiments, this configuration advantageously improves a ratio of thermal conductivity between the fluid and the temperature probe and thermal conductivity between the temperature probe and a sensor housing.