Removable Sensor Port Insert for Flow Cells
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for installing and replacing sensors in flow cells are cumbersome, often requiring system shutdowns, are prone to leaks, and lack accurate alignment due to threading and welding requirements, which complicates maintenance and increases susceptibility to damage.
Innovation Solution
A sensor port insert apparatus featuring an insert body with holding nuts that allow for easy removal and replacement of sensors under process conditions, ensuring accurate alignment and orientation without the need for threading or rotating the insert body, utilizing distinct keyway patterns for different nuts to prevent accidental removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the insert body is welded or permanently fixed in the sensor port, then the installation is more secure and reliable, but the insert body cannot be removed or replaced in a timely manner and requires system shutdown
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into two separable components: the insert body that remains permanently installed in the sensor port, and the sensor that can be removed and replaced. This segmentation allows the insert body to maintain reliable installation through features like flanges or welding, while the sensor can be independently removed via the rear access opening without requiring system shutdown
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor is extracted as a separate removable component from the insert body. The insert body contains a rear access opening that allows the sensor to be removed from the front of the device without removing the entire insert body from the sensor port, enabling sensor replacement while maintaining the secure installation of the insert body itself
2Ease of manufacture
If a flange is used to install the insert body in the sensor port, then the insert body can be installed without welding, but the installation requires additional external space and is more susceptible to damage
Solution Approach 1:
The insert body is nested within the sensor port in a way that minimizes external protrusions. The flange or mounting features are integrated into the sensor port structure itself rather than extending outward, reducing the external footprint and susceptibility to damage while maintaining ease of installation
3Ease of operation
If the insert body is threaded into the sensor port, then the insert body permits removal and replacement, but the threads are susceptible to leaking and rotation makes accurate alignment difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Alignment features such as keys, slots, or pre-marked orientation indicators are incorporated into the insert body and sensor port before the threading operation. This preliminary alignment guidance ensures accurate sensor orientation is established before the insert body is threaded into position, preventing misalignment that would otherwise require difficult adjustments
4Ease of repair
If the insert body must be removed to replace the sensor, then the sensor can be replaced, but the system must be shut down to remove fluid and pressure from the flow cell
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor is extracted as a separately removable component through a rear access opening in the insert body. This allows the sensor to be removed and replaced without removing the entire insert body from the sensor port, enabling maintenance to proceed while the system remains pressurized and operational
Solution Approach 2:
The rear access opening in the insert body serves as an intermediary access path that allows sensor replacement without requiring removal of the insert body itself. This intermediary access mechanism enables maintenance operations to bypass the need for system shutdown and depressurization
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus configured for insertion into a sensor port of a flow cell is described herein. The apparatus includes an insert body, a sensor located in the cavity of the insert body, and an insert body holding nut and a sensor holding nut threaded to the interior surface of the sensor port.