Vehicle Pressure Sensor Water Drainage via Connecting Channel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pressure sensors for vehicles, particularly in brake boosters, face issues with water penetration due to surface tension, which can trap water in reference pressure holes, preventing accurate sensing of atmospheric pressure.
Innovation Solution
A pressure sensor design featuring a connecting channel between two reference pressure holes, where the channel uses surface tension to draw water from the higher hole to the lower hole, ensuring water removal and accurate pressure sensing, with a housing and cover configuration to prevent moisture entry into the sensor unit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If two reference pressure holes are arranged with the first hole geodetically higher than the second hole to enable water drainage, then water can flow out of the housing, but water may become trapped in the reference pressure holes due to surface tension
Solution Approach 1:
A connecting channel is introduced as an intermediary element between the first and second reference pressure holes. This channel facilitates controlled water movement from the higher first hole to the lower second hole, mediating the drainage process while preventing water trapping that would otherwise occur due to surface tension effects in the open holes
Solution Approach 2:
The solution utilizes hydraulic principles by employing a connecting channel that leverages gravity and pressure differential to move water from the higher reference pressure hole to the lower one. The channel creates a controlled hydraulic pathway that overcomes surface tension barriers and ensures continuous water evacuation from the reference pressure system
2Reliability
If a cover is added to prevent water entry into the sensor unit, then the sensor unit is protected from moisture, but the reference pressure holes cannot sense atmospheric pressure correctly due to trapped water
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is segmented into distinct functional zones: a protected zone containing the sensor unit covered by the protective cover, and an exposed zone containing the reference pressure holes that remain open to atmospheric pressure. The connecting channel bridges these zones, allowing water management in the exposed zone while maintaining protection in the sensor zone
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting channel serves as an intermediary pathway that separates the water management function from the pressure sensing function. It allows water to be actively managed in the reference pressure holes while the sensor unit remains passively protected, mediating between the need for exposure and the need for protection
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 removes water from the higher reference pressure hole, allowing the pressure sensor to correctly sense atmospheric pressure, enhancing the reliability of pressure measurements in wet conditions.
Implementation Method 1
the connecting channel, on the basis of the surface tension, can suck penetrated water out of the higher, first reference pressure hole and conduct it to the lower, second reference pressure hole
Implementation Method 2
Owing to gravity, the water flows from the higher, first reference pressure hole to the lower, second reference pressure hole, and onward out of the housing
Data Source
AI summary
A pressure sensor for a vehicle includes a housing, in which at least one sensor unit is arranged. The at least one sensor unit determines a pressure difference between a pressure at a measurement connection point and atmospheric pressure. The at least one sensor unit senses the atmospheric pressure at at least two reference pressure bores. The disclosure further relates to a braking system for a vehicle, having at least one such pressure sensor. A sensor dewatering means comprises a connection channel, which connects the at least two reference pressure bores to each other.