Integrated Liquid Temperature and Level Control With Remote Programming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current industrial processes require separate sensors and control equipment for accurately measuring and controlling liquid temperature and level, leading to increased time, resource consumption, and spatial footprint without simplifying calibration and tuning processes.
Innovation Solution
A compact sensing and control unit integrating a temperature sensor, level sensor, programmable scaling and control module, and electronic switching devices within a single housing, allowing for remote programming and eliminating the need for external conditioning and control equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If separate sensors and control equipment are used for temperature and level measurement, then measurement precision is maintained, but device complexity and spatial footprint increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines separate temperature sensor, level sensor, conditioning modules, and control logic into a single integrated sensing and control unit. This merging maintains measurement precision for both temperature and level while eliminating the need for separate external conditioning and control equipment, thereby reducing overall device complexity and spatial footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated unit performs multiple functions within a single device: temperature sensing, level sensing, signal conditioning for both sensors, and control logic execution. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate dedicated components for each function, resolving the contradiction between maintaining precise measurement capabilities and reducing system complexity.
2Reliability
If separate sensors and control equipment are used, then functional reliability is maintained, but installation time and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating all sensing and control functions into a single pre-calibrated unit, the patent eliminates the time-consuming process of installing and calibrating multiple separate components. The unit arrives as a complete, factory-calibrated system that maintains reliability while dramatically reducing installation time and resource consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensing and control unit is pre-calibrated and pre-configured during manufacturing before deployment. This preliminary action ensures functional reliability is established beforehand, eliminating the need for on-site calibration of multiple separate components and significantly reducing installation time and resource requirements.
3Manufacturing precision
If external conditioning and control equipment are used, then control accuracy is maintained, but spatial footprint increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates conditioning circuitry and control logic directly into the sensing unit, eliminating the need for separate external conditioning modules and control equipment. This consolidation maintains control accuracy while dramatically reducing the spatial footprint required in the control panel, as the entire system fits within a single compact unit.
Data Source
AI summary
A unit which combines a remotely programmable controller with an integral temperature and level sensor for controlling the temperature and level of a given liquid. The device comprises one temperature sensor, to measure a liquid's temperature and to provide an electrical output; one level sensor, to measure a liquid's level and provide an electrical output; a programmable scaling and control module, for receiving the electrical outputs of the temperature sensor and level sensor as input signals, for scaling the temperature signal as a function of temperature and a scale-selection input, and for implementing a control logic to process the sensor signals into two respective control signals; two electronic switching devices, to electrically interface one of the two control signals to an external heater or cooling unit and the other one of the two control signals to an auxiliary device, such as a pump or alarm.