Sensor Cleaning Unit With Ultrasonic Cavitation And Magnetic Pressure Control

The patent replaces traditional mechanical wiper cleaning with an ultrasonic cleaning system. The ultrasonic transducer generates high-frequency vibrations that create cavitation bubbles in the cleaning fluid, which implode to remove contaminants without mechanical contact that would cause smearing. This substitution of mechanical action with acoustic field-based cleaning resolves the contradiction between achieving cleaning effect and avoiding contaminant smearing.

The patent employs ultrasonic vibration (mechanical vibration at high frequency) to clean the sensor window. The ultrasonic transducer converts electrical energy to mechanical vibrations at frequencies typically above 20 kHz, causing the cleaning fluid to cavitate and the contaminants to be removed through acoustic streaming and cavitation collapse, achieving effective cleaning without the smearing problem of conventional wipers.

The ultrasonic cleaning system uses high-frequency mechanical vibrations to prevent dirt film deposition. The continuous ultrasonic energy input keeps the cleaning fluid in a state of active cavitation, preventing contaminants from adhering to the sensor window and forming films, thereby maintaining superior cleaning performance without the limitation of compressed air or liquid methods.

The ultrasonic cleaning process exploits phase transitions of the cleaning fluid through cavitation - the formation, growth, and collapse of vapor bubbles in the liquid. This phase transition mechanism creates localized high-energy events that effectively remove and prevent dirt film deposition, achieving reliable cleaning performance that compressed air or simple liquid rinsing cannot match.

The sensor system incorporates a preliminary ultrasonic cleaning cycle that activates before the sensor is deployed to the measurement location. This preliminary action removes potential build-up contaminants before they can interfere with measurements, reducing the need for extended cleaning operations later and optimizing the overall cleaning time while effectively preventing build-up formation.

The ultrasonic cleaning system is designed to operate continuously or in repeated short cycles throughout the sensor's operational life, maintaining constant protection against build-up formation. This continuous useful action prevents the accumulation of contaminants over time, achieving effective build-up prevention without requiring lengthy intermittent cleaning periods.

The patent replaces manual handheld brush cleaning with an automated ultrasonic cleaning system. The ultrasonic transducer generates the cleaning action without requiring manual operation, eliminating the significant effort needed for brush cleaning while maintaining or exceeding cleaning intensity through the high-energy cavitation process. This automation resolves the contradiction between cleaning intensity and ease of operation.

The sensor system performs self-cleaning through the integrated ultrasonic cleaning unit, requiring no manual intervention for cleaning operations. The system autonomously activates ultrasonic cleaning when needed, achieving intensive cleaning of the sensor window without human effort, thereby resolving the contradiction between cleaning intensity and ease of operation by making the system self-sufficient.

The patent substitutes mechanical brush cleaning with ultrasonic field-based cleaning. The ultrasonic waves create cavitation bubbles that implode with sufficient force to remove contaminants including abrasive particles, without the mechanical contact that would cause the particles to scratch or damage the window surface. This substitution maintains effective cleaning while eliminating the abrasive damage risk.

The cleaning fluid serves as an intermediary medium between the ultrasonic energy and the sensor window. The ultrasonic waves travel through the fluid, creating cavitation that removes contaminants, while the fluid itself protects the window surface from direct mechanical contact with abrasive particles. This intermediary approach achieves effective cleaning without causing abrasive damage.