Optical Fluid Sensor for Cross Contamination Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional liquid property sensors fail to accurately distinguish between certain types of liquids, leading to potential costly mistakes during liquid transfers, as they cannot differentiate between similar liquid products.
Innovation Solution
The development of optical fluid sensors that use infrared and visible light to determine the type of fluid by comparing wavelength and intensity information with stored fluid profiles, preventing co-mingling and cross-contamination of dissimilar liquids through a crossover protection system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional liquid property sensors are used to identify liquid products, then the system can detect basic liquid properties, but the sensors fail to accurately distinguish between certain types of liquids with similar properties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by transitioning from conventional sensors that measure basic liquid properties to optical sensors that measure light absorption, transmission, and reflection characteristics. By changing the measurement parameters from general physical properties to specific optical properties across multiple wavelengths, the system achieves superior differentiation between liquids with similar conventional properties, thereby resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical or chemical property-based sensing systems with an optical sensing system. This substitution enables non-contact, non-invasive measurement of liquid properties through light interaction, providing more precise and reliable identification of liquid types without the limitations of conventional sensors, thus simultaneously improving both measurement precision and cross-contamination prevention reliability.
2Ease of operation
If operator manual verification is used to ensure liquid types during transfer, then flexibility is maintained, but human error leads to costly mixing mistakes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by enabling the optical sensor system to automatically identify and verify liquid types without requiring manual operator intervention. The system autonomously measures optical properties, compares them against reference data, and provides liquid identification, eliminating human error while maintaining operational flexibility. This automated self-verification process simultaneously improves reliability and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies feedback by creating a closed-loop verification system where optical measurements are continuously taken during liquid transfer operations, compared against known liquid profiles, and used to provide real-time confirmation of liquid identity. This automated feedback mechanism replaces manual verification, eliminating human error while maintaining operational flexibility, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and reliability.
3Measurement precision
If multiple sensor types are deployed to distinguish similar liquids, then identification accuracy improves, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing a multi-wavelength optical sensor system that performs multiple measurement functions using a single integrated device. The system can measure light absorption, transmission, and reflection across multiple wavelengths simultaneously, providing comprehensive liquid characterization without requiring multiple separate sensor types. This multi-functional approach improves liquid differentiation capability while avoiding the complexity and cost of deploying multiple specialized sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple measurement capabilities into a single optical sensing platform. By combining multiple wavelength detection, various optical measurement modes (absorption, transmission, reflection), and reference comparison functionality into one integrated system, the patent achieves superior liquid identification accuracy without the device complexity and cost associated with deploying multiple separate sensor types.
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
Effectively differentiates between various liquid types, including petroleum-based fuels and organic solvents, preventing cross-contamination and ensuring accurate liquid identification during transfer operations.
Implementation Method 1
The light source and the detector are positioned such that, when fluid is disposed within the chamber, the light emitted by the light source passes into and through the fluid disposed in the chamber before being received by the detector
Implementation Method 2
transmit a control signal to the light source to cause the light source to emit UV light into the chamber in order to cause the fluid to fluoresce visible light; receive visible light at the detector
Data Source
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AI summary
An optical fluid sensor (OFS) is disclosed that includes a body defining a chamber and having one or more apertures to allow a fluid to enter the chamber, a light source optically coupled to the chamber and configured to emit light into the chamber, and a detector optically coupled to the chamber and configured to receive light from the chamber. The light source may emit IR, visible, and UV light into the chamber, and the detector may measure an intensity of one or more wavelengths of IR or visible light received by the detector. When fluid is disposed within the chamber, the light emitted by the light source may pass into and through the fluid disposed in the chamber before being received by the detector. A crossover protection system is also disclosed that includes an OFS for determining a transported liquid type.