Tape Node Sensor Segmentation for Hostile Environments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Capturing sensor data in hostile environments is challenging due to the susceptibility of conventional electronic components to failure, which can impact the quality or safety of assets, especially when they are exposed to extreme temperatures, radiation, high vibration, or chemical risks, making it difficult to maintain the required conditions for assets like vaccines during transport.
Innovation Solution
A wireless sensing system with specialized tape nodes, featuring a substrate with distinct portions for ambient and hostile environments, connected by a flexible portion, allowing sensors to operate within hostile conditions while protecting electronic components. These tape nodes include sensors like temperature, vibration, and optical sensors, and use low-power communications to transmit data safely.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional electronic components are used in hostile environments, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability deteriorates due to susceptibility to failure from extreme temperatures, radiation, and vibration
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor product is divided into distinct portions: a first portion with ambient-environment electronic components, a second portion with hostile-environment sensors, and a flexible connecting portion. This segmentation allows each component to operate in its optimal environment, resolving the contradiction between reliability and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
A flexible connecting portion acts as an intermediary between the ambient environment (first portion) and hostile environment (second portion). This intermediary structure physically connects the two portions while allowing the sensors to interface directly with the hostile environment without exposing sensitive electronic components to it.
2Measurement precision
If sensors are exposed directly to hostile environments to capture accurate data, then measurement precision is improved, but reliability worsens due to component failure from extreme conditions
Solution Approach 1:
Different portions of the sensor product have different environmental exposures: the second portion (sensors) is designed to withstand and interface with hostile environments for accurate measurement, while the first portion (electronic components) remains in the ambient environment for reliability. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction between measurement precision and reliability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional sensor form factors are used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but adaptability deteriorates when assets are inaccessible or in narrow areas
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible connecting portion enables the sensor product to dynamically adapt its shape and configuration to fit into narrow areas and inaccessible locations on assets. This flexibility provides adaptability for difficult-to-reach areas while maintaining a relatively simple substrate-based manufacturing approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The use of a flexible connecting portion (thin film structure) allows the sensor product to conform to irregular asset surfaces and fit into confined spaces. This flexible film approach provides adaptability for inaccessible areas while being compatible with standard flexible substrate manufacturing processes.
Data Source
AI summary
A tape node includes a substrate supporting electronic components for communicating wirelessly and collecting sensor data. Tape nodes may be attached to stationary or moving objects and may be combined in a network for communicating information to a network service about the objects. Tape nodes have a specialized form factor for operating in hostile environments where sensors may be placed in the hostile environment while sensitive electronics and communications interfaces may be placed away from the hostile environment in an ambient environment.