Modular Sensor Unit for Fluid Conduits
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sensor technologies face challenges in consistently and accurately measuring fluid properties due to variables such as sensor position within conduits, which affects reproducibility of measurements.
Innovation Solution
A sensor unit design that includes a body section with a chamber and a sensor support system, ensuring the sensor is maintained at a constant depth and position relative to the fluid flow, using a gasket and clamp configuration to secure the sensor in place, and incorporating various types of sensors for measuring fluid properties like temperature, pH, and flow rate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the sensor is freely positioned in the conduit, then the installation is simple, but the measurement precision deteriorates due to variable sensor position and depth
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor assembly is segmented into distinct functional components: a sensor support structure that maintains position, a sensor holder that secures the sensor, and a sensor itself. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while collectively solving the position stability problem without requiring complete redesign of the entire measurement system.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor support structure is pre-configured with specific geometric features (such as angled surfaces and positioning elements) that automatically guide the sensor into the correct position and orientation during installation. This preliminary structural preparation ensures accurate sensor positioning without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms or skilled installation procedures.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the sensor is secured with a complex mounting mechanism, then the position stability improves, but the ease of manufacture deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting system is divided into modular components that can be manufactured independently using standard machining or molding processes. The sensor support, holder, and securing features are separate elements that can be produced through conventional manufacturing methods and then assembled, avoiding the need for complex integrated structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor holder acts as an intermediary component between the sensor and the support structure. This intermediate element simplifies the overall design by providing a standardized interface that secures the sensor in a fixed position relative to the support, enabling stable positioning through a simple, manufacturable component rather than a complex direct mounting mechanism.
3Ease of manufacture
If the sensor support structure is simplified, then the ease of manufacture improves, but the reliability deteriorates due to inconsistent sensor positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor support structure incorporates localized geometric features (such as specific angled surfaces, recesses, or positioning protrusions) at critical locations where the sensor contacts the support. These localized structural qualities ensure consistent sensor positioning and orientation without requiring the entire support structure to be complex, maintaining reliability while preserving ease of manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure includes pre-formed positioning features that automatically establish the correct sensor position during assembly. These preliminary structural preparations ensure reliable, repeatable sensor positioning without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms or additional manufacturing steps, achieving both reliability and ease of manufacture.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a sensor unit that is positioned at a location in a conduit for measuring a property of a fluid flowing through the conduit, the sensor unit comprises: a sensor support; a body section including proximal and distal sides and a center having a chamber, the chamber having a lower part and a top part with the lower part providing an open path between the proximal and distal sides of the body section, providing a flow channel through the body section; a socket in the top part of the chamber, the socket configured to receive the sensor support; a gasket located on top of the sensor support; e) a clamp configured to compress and hold the gasket and sensor support in place in the socket; and at least one sensor configured to measure a property of the fluid; wherein the sensor support maintains the at least one sensor in position relative to the walls of the flow channel through the sensor unit and at a constant depth relative to the fluid flowing through the sensor unit.