Moisture Vapor Probe With Removable Electronics Module
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Solution Overview
Problem
Commercially available moisture probes are either wasteful and expensive or require lengthy recalibration, often used inaccurately due to lack of calibration capabilities, leading to incorrect data and significant economic impacts, and they take too long to equilibrate, especially for reusable probes.
Innovation Solution
A moisture vapor probe design featuring a removable electronics module and a cylindrical sleeve with a moisture vapor sensor, allowing for rapid equilibration and accurate relative humidity measurements, with a small testing volume and modular design that separates the sensor from the electronics for cost-effectiveness and ease of use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If reusable moisture probes are used to reduce waste and expense, then cost-effectiveness is improved, but the probes become inaccurate due to aging and require recalibration or accuracy checking
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor element is designed as a disposable component that is inexpensive to replace. The sensor head can be discarded after use and a new sensor element is installed in the reusable housing, eliminating the need for recalibration while maintaining accuracy. This resolves the contradiction by making the disposable part (sensor element) cheap while keeping the reusable part (housing with electronics) reliable.
2Productivity
If reusable probes are used without recalibration to save time, then productivity is improved, but the probes may provide incorrect data leading to significant economic impact
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor element is designed as a disposable component that maintains accuracy throughout its service life without requiring recalibration. By replacing the inexpensive sensor element rather than recalibrating the entire probe, the system maintains high productivity while ensuring data accuracy, eliminating the economic risk of incorrect measurements.
3Reliability
If traditional probe designs with large volumes are used, then the sensor can be protected and positioned, but the equilibration time with concrete becomes unacceptably long
Solution Approach 1:
The probe is segmented into distinct functional parts: a protective housing that remains in the concrete hole and a sensor element that extends into the concrete. The sensor element has a minimized volume for rapid equilibration, while the housing provides protection and houses electronics. This segmentation allows the sensing portion to equilibrate quickly while the protective housing remains stationary.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor element is extracted as a separate, removable component from the housing. This allows the sensor to have a minimal volume for rapid equilibration while the housing provides protection. The sensor element can be inserted and removed independently, separating the protection function from the sensing function to enable faster measurement.
4Adaptability or versatility
If integrated electronics packages are included in the probe head, then the probe provides complete functionality, but the cost increases significantly making it unaffordable for widespread use
Solution Approach 1:
The probe is segmented into a reusable housing containing the electronics package and a disposable sensor element. The expensive electronics are contained in the durable housing that can be reused many times, while only the inexpensive sensor element is replaced. This segmentation dramatically reduces the cost per test while maintaining complete probe functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing with electronics is designed as a universal platform that can accommodate different sensor elements. The electronics package performs multiple functions (signal processing, data storage, communication) and is reused across many sensor elements, amortizing the cost and making the overall system more affordable for widespread use.
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 solution enables faster and more accurate relative humidity measurements, reducing equilibration time significantly and eliminating the need for recalibration, thus saving time and resources, while being cost-effective and minimizing economic impacts from incorrect data.
Implementation Method 1
a moisture vapor sensor disposed on the outer surface of the sensor plate in electrical communication with a communication port on the inner surface of the sensor plate
Data Source
AI summary
One embodiment of the invention comprises a moisture vapor probe comprising a hollow sleeve and a removable electronics module. The probe has a generally cylindrical hollow sleeve having a sidewall with an inner surface and an outer surface. The sleeve comprises a sensor plate having a moisture vapor sensor and forming a water impermeable barrier with the sidewall. The sleeve has an opening such that a volume is defined by the opening, the sidewall and the sensor plate. The probe further comprises an electronics module removably disposable within the sleeve. The electronics module includes an information transfer unit. The information transfer unit in communication with the moisture vapor sensor and adapted to receive relative humidity information from the moisture vapor sensor.