Particulate Matter Sensor Cleaning via High-Speed Gas Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Particulate matter measuring devices face issues with pollutant attachment to micro particle sensors, leading to errors in detection results due to varying pollutant concentrations in the external environment, which current compensation calculations fail to accurately correct.
Innovation Solution
A particulate matter measuring device with an automatic cleaning function that uses a gas transporting actuator to eject air at high speed and remove suspended particles from the micro particle sensor, maintaining its accuracy and preventing pollutant attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the micro particle sensor is exposed to the external environment for detection, then the detection capability is improved, but the sensor surface is polluted by suspended particles causing measurement errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing a cleaning operation before the measurement operation. The gas transporting actuator is driven to transport gas at high speed across the micro particle sensor surface, removing suspended particles that may have attached during the measurement phase. This pre-cleaning ensures the sensor surface is ready for accurate detection without pollutant interference.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic action by alternating between measurement operations and cleaning operations. The controller drives the gas transporting actuator periodically to perform cleaning operations at predetermined intervals or before measurements, creating a cyclic pattern of measurement-cleaning-measurement that maintains sensor accuracy over time by regularly removing accumulated pollutants.
2Device complexity
If software compensation calculation is used to correct detection errors, then the complexity of hardware modification is reduced, but the accuracy of corrected values deviates from actual results due to varying pollutant concentrations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the software-based compensation calculation approach with a physical cleaning mechanism. Instead of using algorithms to mathematically correct for sensor pollution, the system uses a gas transporting actuator to physically remove suspended particles from the sensor surface through high-speed gas flow, directly addressing the root cause of measurement errors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements self-service by enabling the micro particle sensor to clean itself through the gas transporting actuator. The sensor surface is autonomously purified by high-speed gas flow that removes attached suspended particles, eliminating the need for external manual cleaning or complex software compensation systems.
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 automatic cleaning operation ensures accurate detection of suspended particle concentrations by preventing pollutant deposition on the micro particle sensor, thereby improving the reliability of measurement results.
Implementation Method 1
at least one gas transporting actuator (1) is disposed at a bottom surface of the irradiating mechanism (4) for being driven to transport air into the air flow channel (42) at high speed
Implementation Method 2
the air flowing between the gas transporting actuator (1) and the micro particle sensor (3) is used to perform a cleaning operation on a surface of the micro particle sensor (3)
Implementation Method 3
at least one laser module (2) is disposed within a light-source receiving slot (43) of the irradiating mechanism (4) for emitting a laser beam through a light-beam channel (41) to irradiate the air flowing in the air flow channel (42)
Implementation Method 4
When the light beam hits the suspended particles in the gas, scattering occurs. Then, by detecting and collecting the scattered light, the particle size of the suspended particles and the numbers of suspended particles with different sizes in the unit space can be calculated
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A
AI summary
A particulate matter measuring device (100) includes a gas transporting actuator (1), a micro particle sensor (3) and a laser module (2). The micro particle sensor (3) is disposed corresponding in position to the gas transporting actuator (1). The laser module (2) is disposed between the gas transporting actuator (1) and the micro particle sensor (3) and emits a laser beam between the gas transporting actuator (1) and the micro particle sensor (3). The air flowing between the gas transporting actuator (1) and the micro particle sensor (3) is irradiated by the laser beam. The micro particle sensor (3) analyzes sizes of suspended particles in the air and calculates concentrations of the suspended particles. The air is ejected at high speed by the gas transporting actuator (1) to perform a cleaning operation on a surface of the micro particle sensor (3) so as to remove the suspended particles on the surface of the micro particle sensor (3) and maintain accuracy of the micro particle sensor (3).