Wireless oil filter sensor

• US 20060230833A1
• Filed: 04/14/2005
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Rhodes, Michael L., Rahman, Aziz, Liu, James ZT
• Granted Patent: US 7,287,431 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/649
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 35/143 Filter condition indicators
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0226 Oils, e.g. engine oils
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0256 Adsorption, desorption, surface mass change, e.g. on biosensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0421 Longitudinal waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0422 Shear waves, transverse waves, horizontally polarised waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0426 Bulk waves, e.g. quartz crystal microbalance, torsional waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0427 Flexural waves, plate waves, e.g. Lamb waves, tuning fork, cantilever
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/022 Fluid sensors based on microsensors, e.g. quartz crystal-microbalance [QCM], surface acoustic wave [SAW] devices, tuning forks, cantilevers, flexural plate wave [FPW] devices microdevices per se B81B
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/4481 Neural networks
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/26 Oils; Viscous liquids; Paints; Inks G01N33/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/28 Oils , i.e. hydrocarbon liquids edible oils or edible fats G01N33/03

Abstract

A wireless oil filter sensing system includes an oil filter and a sensing mechanism that is connectable to the oil filter. The sensing mechanism includes one or more acoustic wave sensing elements and at least one antenna that communicate with the acoustic wave sensing element(s). An external interrogation system could excite the acoustic wave sensing element(s) wireless and passively. When the acoustic wave sensing elements are in contact with oil contained in the oil filter, the acoustic wave sensing elements detect acoustic waves associated with the oil in response to an excitation of the acoustic wave sensing elements, thereby generating data indicative of the quality of the oil for wireless transmission through the antenna(s).

Claims

1. A wireless oil filter sensing system, comprising:

an oil filter; and

a sensing mechanism that is connectable to said oil filter, wherein said sensing mechanism comprises at least one acoustic wave sensing element and at least one antenna that communicates with said at least one acoustic wave sensing element, wherein when said at least one acoustic wave sensing element is in contact with oil contained in said oil filter, said at least one acoustic wave sensing element detects acoustic waves associated with said oil in response to an excitation of said at least one acoustic wave sensing element, thereby generating data indicative of a quality of said oil for wireless transmission through said at least one antenna.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said excitation of said at least one acoustic wave sensing element occurs in response to at least one wireless signal transmitted to said at least one antenna.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said acoustic waves associated with said oil comprise bulk wave, acoustic plate mode, shear-horizontal acoustic plate mode, surface transverse wave, flexural plate wave and shear-horizontal surface acoustic waves.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a pattern recognition module that recognizes varying grades of said oil based on at least one signal transmitted by said antenna.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said pattern recognition module identifies a viscosity of said oil based on said at least one signal transmitted by said antenna.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein said pattern recognition module identifies a degradation of said oil based on said at least on signal transmitted by said antenna.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one acoustic wave sensing element comprises a bulk acoustic wave (BAW) sensing element.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one acoustic wave sensing element comprises a shear horizontal surface acoustic wave (SH-SAW) sensing element.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one acoustic wave sensing element comprises an acoustic plate mode (APM) sensing element.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one acoustic wave sensing element comprises a shear horizontal acoustic plate mode (SH-APM) sensing element.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one acoustic wave sensing element comprises a surface transverse wave (STW) sensing element.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one acoustic wave sensing element comprises a flexural plate wave (FPW) sensing element.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein said acoustic waves associated with said oil comprise bulk wave, acoustic plate mode, surface transverse wave, shear-horizontal acoustic plate mode, flexural plate wave and shear-horizontal surface acoustic waves.

13. A wireless oil filter sensing system, comprising:

an oil filter; and

a sensing mechanism that is connectable to said oil filter, wherein said sensing mechanism comprises at least one acoustic wave sensing element and at least one antenna that communicates with said at least one acoustic wave sensing element, wherein when said at least one acoustic wave sensing element is in contact with oil contained in said oil filter, said at least one acoustic wave sensing element detects acoustic waves associated with said oil in response to an excitation of said at least one acoustic wave sensing element, thereby generating data indicative of a quality of said oil for wireless transmission through said at least one antenna and wherein said excitation of said at least one acoustic wave sensing element occurs in response to at least one wireless signal transmitted to said antenna; and

a pattern recognition module that based on said at least one signal transmitted by said antenna recognizes varying grades of said oil based on at least one signal transmitted by said antenna, identifies a viscosity of said oil, and identifies a degradation of said oil.

15. A wireless oil filter sensing method, comprising:

providing an oil filter; and

connecting a sensing mechanism to said oil filter, wherein said sensing mechanism comprises at least one acoustic wave sensing element and at least one antenna that communicates with said at least one acoustic wave sensing element, wherein when said at least one acoustic wave sensing element is in contact with oil contained in said oil filter, said at least one acoustic wave sensing element detects acoustic waves associated with said oil in response to an excitation of said at least one acoustic wave sensing element, thereby generating data indicative of a quality of said oil for wireless transmission through said at least one antenna.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising transmitting at least one wireless signal transmitted to said at least one antenna in order to excite said said at least one acoustic wave sensing element.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein said acoustic waves associated with said oil comprise bulk wave, shear-horizontal acoustic plate mode, flexural plate wave and shear-horizontal surface acoustic waves.

18. The method of claim 15 further utilizing a pattern recognition module to recognize varying grades of said oil based on at least one signal transmitted by said at least one antenna.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said pattern recognition module identifies a viscosity of said oil based on said at least one signal transmitted by said at least one antenna.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein said pattern recognition module identifies a degradation of said oil based on said at least on signal transmitted by said at least one antenna.

21. The method of claim 15 further comprising configuring said at least one acoustic wave sensing element to comprises at least one of the following types of sensing elements:

a bulk acoustic wave (BAW) sensing element, a shear horizontal surface acoustic wave (SH-SAW) sensing element, an acoustic plate mode (APM) sensing element, a shear horizontal acoustic plate mode (SH-APM) sensing element, surface transverse wave, or a flexural plate wave (FPW) sensing element.

22. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

providing an interrogator comprising a transmitter and a receiver;

transmitting from said transmitter of said interrogator at least one signal in order to excite said acoustic wave sensing element to vibrate in at least one desired mode thereof through at least one antenna; and

receiving at said receiver at least one signal transmitted from said acoustic wave sensing element.

23. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

providing at least one antenna connected to said acoustic wave sensing element, such said at least one antenna receives at least one excitation signal in order to permit said acoustic wave sensing element to vibrate in at least one desired mode upon receipt of said excitation signals from an interrogator; and

transmitting from at least one antenna associated with said acoustic wave sensor, said data indicative of the quality of said engine oil to a receiver associated with an interrogator for receiving and collecting said data.

24. The method of claim 15 wherein said at least one antenna comprises at least one of the following types of antennas:

a linear type antenna or a coupler type antenna.