Reductant Storage Filter Assembly for Accurate Sensor Readings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing reductant storage systems in internal combustion engines face challenges in accurately measuring reductant level and quality due to dirt and debris accumulation, which can cause blockages and air bubble formation, leading to inaccurate sensor readings.
Innovation Solution
A reductant storage system with a filter assembly and header assembly that includes filtering material to block contaminants and air bubbles, and ultrasonic sensors to measure reductant quality and level within the filtered reservoir, ensuring accurate and reliable measurements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a baffle is used to prevent air bubbles from entering the sensing volume, then measurement reliability is improved, but device complexity increases and the rigid structure causes splashing that produces more air bubbles
Solution Approach 1:
A filter assembly is introduced as an intermediary component between the reductant storage environment and the sensor assembly. The filter allows air bubbles to pass through while blocking dirt and debris, thereby protecting the sensing volume from contamination without requiring a complex rigid baffle structure that causes splashing.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter assembly utilizes porous filtering material that permits passage of air bubbles and reductant while blocking larger particulate contaminants. This porous structure achieves the protective function without the rigid, splashing-inducing geometry of traditional baffles.
2Measurement precision
If a cover assembly is added to enclose the sensing volume, then measurement precision is improved by preventing air bubble entry, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The filter assembly serves as a simpler intermediary component compared to a cover assembly. It achieves the necessary protection of the sensing volume from debris while allowing air bubbles to pass, without requiring the complex enclosure structure of a cover assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts only the essential filtering function from the more complex cover assembly concept. By using a standalone filter assembly rather than an enclosing cover structure, the design achieves protection with simpler manufacturing requirements.
3Productivity
If the storage container is refilled in the work environment, then productivity is improved by on-site replenishment, but contamination with dirt and debris increases
Solution Approach 1:
The filter assembly acts as a mediator between the contaminated work environment and the reductant storage system. It allows refilling operations to proceed in-field without requiring cleanroom conditions, as the filter blocks environmental contaminants from entering the sensing volume while permitting reductant flow.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter assembly is pre-installed in the storage system before field operations begin. This preliminary protective measure ensures that any subsequent contamination during in-field refilling operations is automatically blocked, enabling continuous productivity without contamination concerns.
4Measurement precision
If sensors are placed in the reductant storage system, then measurement capability is improved, but susceptibility to blockage by dirt and debris increases
Solution Approach 1:
The filter assembly is positioned between the contaminated reductant environment and the sensors, serving as a protective intermediary. It blocks dirt and debris from reaching the sensors while allowing reductant and air bubbles to pass through to the sensing volume, thereby maintaining both measurement capability and sensor reliability.
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 system provides consistent and accurate measurements of reductant quality and level, reducing the impact of debris and aeration, and maintaining reliable operation even under conditions of slosh and contamination.
Implementation Method 1
a filter assembly... configured to seal the opening and include a filtering material
Implementation Method 2
a first sensor configured to measure a quality of the reductant contained within the filter assembly
Implementation Method 3
a second sensor configured to measure a level of the reductant contained within the filter assembly
Data Source
AI summary
A reductant storage system for an internal combustion engine system includes a storage container having a bottom wall, a top wall opposite the bottom wall, an opening extending through the top wall, and a reservoir formed by a hollow interior of the storage container; a filter assembly; and a header assembly. The filter assembly extends through the opening and is configured to seal the opening and includes a filtering material. The header assembly extends through the opening and inside the filter assembly. The header assembly includes: (i) a first sensor configured to measure a quality of the reductant contained within the filter assembly and (ii) a second sensor configured to measure a level of the reductant contained within the filter assembly.