Optical Sensor Casing With Bubble Isolation for Urea Testing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing urea concentration sensors in vehicles face precision issues due to bubbles in the solution, leading to unreliable emission standard compliance and potential damage to after-treatment systems, especially when tap water or seawater is used instead of the correct solvent.

Innovation Solution

An optical concentration sensor protective casing with a bubble isolation shield and air hole baffle plate design that separates bubbles from the solution before testing, ensuring the solution is bubble-free and preventing dust entry, thereby improving testing precision and extending sensor lifespan.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If the sensor body is directly exposed to the solution, then the testing process is simple, but the sensor body is damaged due to collision or squeeze

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetesting process complexityVSAvoidsensor body protection
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The protective casing is divided into an outer cover and an inner container, creating a segmented structure that protects the sensor body while maintaining testing functionality. The inner container holds the solution and separates it from the sensor, while the outer cover provides additional protection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Device complexity

If bubbles are present in the solution during testing, then the testing process is simple, but the precision of urea concentration measurement is affected

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetesting process complexityVSAvoidurea concentration measurement precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The air trap zone is designed to remove air bubbles from the solution before it reaches the sensing area. This preliminary action of bubble removal ensures that the solution entering the inner container is free of bubbles, thereby improving measurement precision without complicating the overall testing process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Device complexity

If the sensor body is directly exposed to the solution, then the testing structure is simple, but the service life of the sensor body is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetesting structure complexityVSAvoidsensor body service life
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The inner container acts as an intermediary between the solution and the sensor body. It allows the solution to be held and tested without direct contact with the sensor body, thereby extending the service life of the sensor while maintaining a relatively simple testing structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Reliability

If a protective casing is added to protect the sensor body, then the sensor body is protected from damage, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesensor body protectionVSAvoidprotective casing structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The protective casing combines multiple functions into a single integrated structure. The outer cover and inner container work together to provide protection, bubble removal, and solution containment, thereby reducing the need for additional separate components and minimizing overall device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 effectively prevents bubble interference and dust contamination, enhancing the reliability of urea concentration measurements and protecting the sensor from damage, ensuring accurate emission standard compliance and prolonged sensor life.

Implementation Method 1

a light source operatively coupled to an inner chamber disposed in a liquid solution and configured to emit light and transmit the light to the inner chamber; a light detector operatively coupled to the inner chamber and configured to receive at least a portion of the light from the inner chamber; and a controller configured to determine a concentration or quality of the liquid solution on a basis of the light emitted by the light source and the portion of the light received by the light detector

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight absorption: Absorption (EM radiation)

Data Source

PatentEP3428617B1Optical density sensor protective casing and optical density testing device
Publication Date: 2024.10.16 DONG GUAN ZHENGYANG ELECTRONIC MECHANICAL LTD
  • EP3428617B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP3428617B1 patent drawingFigure 4~6
  • EP3428617B1 patent drawingFigure 7~9

AI summary

An optical density sensor protective casing and an optical density testing device. The protective casing comprises an outer cover (1) and a bubble isolation shield (2). The bubble isolation shield (2) is embedded into the inner side of the outer cover (1), Convection holes (11) are formed in the outer cover (1). A liquid intake hole (23) is formed in the bubble isolation shield (2). The optical density device comprises the protective casing. A sensor main body is protected by arranging the protective casing. In one aspect, the sensor main body is prevented from being damaged due to collision or squeeze to the sensor main body, thereby prolonging the service life of the sensor main body; in another aspect, a solution to be tested on the inner side of the protective casing tends to be still, thereby improving the precision of the testing result. In addition, an air hole baffle plate (7) is disposed on the outer side of the outer cover (1) to prevent the solution to be tested from directly entering a testing area in a pouring process, and dust and pollutants that affect the precision of the testing result are prevented from entering the testing area, thereby ensuring the reliability of the testing result.