Self-Cleaning Optical Probe with Central Aperture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ultrasonic probes for oil-in-water sensors face issues with poor energy transmission, unstable impedance matching, and heat-related damage to optical fibers and cables due to the side entry slot for ultrasonic transmission, leading to fouling and resonance instability.
Innovation Solution
An optical probe design with an elongate hollow body featuring an internal chamber for optical sensors, an ultrasonic transducer at one end for self-cleaning, and a hollow bolt for secure mounting, allowing optical fibers and cables to pass through the transducer's central aperture, eliminating the need for a side entry slot and ensuring efficient energy transmission and protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a side entry slot is provided in the probe shaft for passing optical fibres and cables, then device insertion is enabled, but ultrasonic energy transmission deteriorates and heat generation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The invention moves the entry point for optical fibres and cables from the side of the probe shaft to the distal end, changing the spatial dimension of the entry slot. This allows cables to enter through the distal end of the hollow probe shaft rather than through a side slot, eliminating the impedance path while maintaining ease of insertion.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the entry slot for optical fibres from the side of the probe shaft and relocates it to the distal end. This separation removes the harmful interaction between the entry slot and ultrasonic transmission path, allowing ultrasonic energy to transmit efficiently through the probe shaft wall without being absorbed by the entry slot.
2Ease of operation
If a side entry slot is provided in the probe shaft, then optical fibres can be inserted, but impedance matching becomes unstable
Solution Approach 1:
The entry point for optical fibres is relocated from the side of the probe shaft to the distal end, changing the spatial configuration. This eliminates the high impedance path created by the side slot, allowing stable impedance matching throughout the ultrasonic transmission path from transducer to measurement window.
3Ease of operation
If a side entry slot is provided for cable passage, then device installation is enabled, but heat generation damages optical fibres and cables
Solution Approach 1:
The entry slot for cables is extracted from the side of the probe shaft and relocated to the distal end. This removes the source of heat generation (the high impedance absorption at the side slot) from the path of optical fibres and cables, preventing heat-related damage while maintaining cable passage capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The hollow probe shaft structure acts as an intermediary, providing a protected pathway for optical fibres and cables from the distal end to the external environment. This hollow structure allows cable insertion while isolating them from the ultrasonic transmission path and preventing heat generation at the entry point.
4Power
If ceramic transducer discs are mounted on the probe shaft, then ultrasonic vibration is generated, but energy transmission is poor without proper impedance matching
Solution Approach 1:
The probe shaft is designed with uniform material composition and continuous structure, eliminating discontinuities such as side entry slots that create impedance mismatches. This homogeneous construction ensures efficient energy transmission from the ceramic transducer discs through the probe shaft wall to the measurement window, minimizing energy loss.
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
This design provides stable and efficient ultrasonic energy transmission, prevents heat-related damage, and simplifies device insertion and maintenance, ensuring a clean and stable measurement window for accurate oil-in-water sensing.
Implementation Method 1
The window will be cleaned by the ultrasonic cavitations created by the ultrasonics
Implementation Method 2
an optical window being provided at a first end of the hollow body, said optical window defining a wall of said internal chamber for transmitting light therethrough
Implementation Method 3
said ultrasonic transducer is secured to the first end of said elongate body by means of a fastener passing therethrough, said fastener being provided with a hole defining said entry aperture
Data Source
Figure 1~4
AI summary
An optical probe comprising an elongate hollow body having an internal chamber for receiving an optical sensor and/or an light emission device, such as one or more optical fibres, an optical window being provided at a first end of the hollow body, said optical window defining a wall of said internal chamber for transmitting light therethrough, and an ultrasonic transducer provided at a second end of the elongate body opposite said first end for cleaning said optical window via ultrasonic vibrations, wherein said ultrasonic transducer is provided with an entry aperture extending through the ultrasonic transducer, through which entry aperture optical fibres, cables or wires may pass to enter said internal chamber