Sensing system and an associated method thereof

• US 10,261,036 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2016
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Potyrailo, Radislav Alexandrovich, Go, Steven YueHin
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hoai-An D.
• Application Number:
  US15/187,934
• Publication Number:
  US 20170363555A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• Field of Search: 324600, 324649, 324654, 324655
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/026 Dielectric impedance spectroscopy electrochemical impedance spectroscopy for measuring corrosion G01N17/02
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/028 Circuits therefor measuring impedance per se G01R27/02
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/2888 Lubricating oil characteristics, e.g. deterioration lubricating properties G01N33/30

Abstract

A sensing system for monitoring an industrial fluid is presented. The sensing system includes a housing and a sensor probe disposed at least partially in the housing, where the sensor probe includes a substrate, a sensing region disposed on the substrate, a first coil disposed on the substrate and coupled to the sensing region, and a second coil disposed on the substrate and coupled to the first coil. A method for operating the sensing system is also presented.

Claims

1. A sensing system for monitoring an industrial fluid, the sensing system comprising:

a housing; and

a sensor probe disposed at least partially in the housing, wherein the sensor probe is a resonant electrical circuit comprising;

a substrate;

a bare sensing region disposed on the substrate;

a first coil disposed on the substrate and coupled to the bare sensing region; and

a second coil disposed on the substrate and inductively coupled to the first coil,

wherein the sensor probe is configured to generate an electric field which interacts with the industrial fluid.

2. The sensing system of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises:

a first face;

a second face opposite to the first face;

a third face perpendicular to the first face and the second face; and

a fourth face opposite to the third face.

3. The sensing system of claim 2, wherein at least one of the bare sensing region and the first coil are disposed on the first face.

4. The sensing system of claim 2, wherein the second coil is disposed on the second face.

5. The sensing system of claim 2, wherein the bare sensing region is disposed on at least one of the third face and the fourth face.

6. The sensing system of claim 1, wherein the first coil and the second coil extend coaxially along the substrate, wherein the first coil is disposed at a predetermined distance apart from the second coil.

7. The sensing system of claim 1, wherein a combination of the first coil and the bare sensing region forms an inductor-capacitor-resistor (LCR) resonator.

8. The sensing system of claim 1, wherein the second coil is further coupled to the bare sensing region and is configured to acquire a response from the first coil and the bare sensing region.

9. The sensing system of claim 1, wherein the sensor probe further comprises a dielectric material layer disposed on at least one of the bare sensing region, the first coil, and the second coil.

10. The sensing system of claim 1, wherein the bare sensing region comprises an interdigital electrode.

11. The sensing system of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises at least one of a ceramic material, a composite material, an inorganic material, and a polymeric material.

12. The sensing system of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises at least one of metal, stainless steel, aluminum, metal alloys, metal-ceramic composites, and metal dielectric composites.

13. The sensing system of claim 1, wherein the housing is configured to provide a radio frequency shielding for the sensor probe.

14. The sensing system of claim 1, wherein the housing is configured to provide an environmental sealing for the first coil and the second coil.

15. The sensing system of claim 1, wherein the housing is a tubular structure.

16. The sensing system of claim 1, wherein the housing is configured to direct a flow of the industrial fluid to the bare sensing region such that the bare sensing region is in operational contact with the industrial fluid.

17. The sensing system of claim 1, wherein the housing is configured to withstand a temperature of at least 250°

C.

18. The sensing system of claim 1, wherein the sensor probe is disposed at a predetermined distance apart from an inner surface of the housing.

19. The sensing system of claim 1, wherein the housing hermetically seals the sensor probe.

20. The sensing system of claim 1, wherein the sensor probe further comprises a connector having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is coupled to the second coil and the second end is configured to deliver an output signal of the sensor probe.

21. The sensing system of claim 20, further comprising at least one of a controlling unit and a data acquisition circuitry operatively coupled to the connector.

22. The sensing system of claim 21, wherein the data acquisition circuitry is configured to receive the output signal.

23. The sensing system of claim 1, wherein the sensor probe is configured to provide an inductive coupling between the bare sensing region and the second coil.

24. The sensing system of claim 1, wherein the sensor probe is configured to provide a non-galvanic coupling between the bare sensing region and the second coil.

25. The sensing system of claim 1, wherein the sensor probe is configured to provide an impedance match between the first coil and the second coil.

26. A method for operating a sensing system, the method comprising:

exciting a sensor probe in operational contact with an industrial fluid, wherein the sensor probe is disposed at least partially in a housing, wherein the sensor probe is a resonant electrical circuit comprising a substrate, a bare sensing region disposed on the substrate, a first coil disposed on the substrate and coupled to the bare sensing region, and a second coil disposed on the substrate and inductively coupled to the first coil, and wherein the sensor probe is configured to generate an electric field which interacts with the industrial fluid;

operating the sensor probe at one or more frequencies in a frequency range of analysis of the industrial fluid based on the excitation;

generating an output signal from the sensor probe across the frequency range of analysis of the industrial fluid; and

determining one or more properties of the industrial fluid based at least in part of the output signal generated from the sensor probe.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the output signal generated from the sensor probe comprises a resonant impedance spectrum of the industrial fluid.