REDUCTION OF AERATION INTERFERENCE VIA TORTUOUS PATH AND SENSOR BOOT

• US 20150337708A1
• Filed: 05/20/2014
• Published: 11/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SSI Technologies, LLC (Amphenol Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SSI Technologies, Inc. (Amphenol Corporation)
• Inventors: Schlenke, David T., Zenko, Jed William
• Granted Patent: US 10,012,121 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2900/1811 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2900/1814 Tank level
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2900/1818 Concentration of the reducing agent
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/2066 Selective catalytic reduction [SCR]
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/00 Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 15/102 by monitoring exhaust gases
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/20 Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

A fluid sensor for sensing at least one characteristic of a fluid. The fluid sensor including a sensing area; a sensing element configured to sense a characteristic of a fluid located within the sensing area; and a shroud having a textured area. The shroud configured to allow a liquid portion of the fluid to enter and exit the sensing area, and substantially prohibit a gas portion of the fluid to enter the sensing area.

Claims

1. A fluid sensor for sensing at least one characteristic of a fluid, the fluid sensor comprising:

a sensing area;

a sensing element configured to sense a characteristic of a fluid located within the sensing area; and

a shroud having a textured area, the shroud configured to

allow a liquid portion of the fluid to enter and exit the sensing area, and

substantially prohibit a gas portion of the fluid to enter the sensing area.

2. The fluid sensor of claim 1, wherein the textured area causes the fluid to follow a tortuous path.

3. The fluid sensor of claim 1, wherein the textured area includes one of a plurality of micro-vents, a plurality of micro-cavities, and a plurality of stipples.

4. The fluid sensor of claim 1, wherein the shroud includes a retainer.

5. The fluid sensor of claim 4, wherein the retainer includes a strap.

6. The fluid sensor of claim 4, wherein the retainer includes a toe clip.

7. The fluid sensor of claim 6, wherein the toe clip is configured to capture a toe of the fluid sensor.

8. The fluid sensor of claim 1, wherein the shroud further includes a chimney configured to exhaust an entrapped gas portion of the fluid from the sensing area.

9. The fluid sensor of claim 1, wherein the sensing area is one of a measurement channel and a level sensing tube.

10. The fluid sensor of claim 1, wherein the sensing element is one of a concentration sensing element, a level sensing element, and a temperature sensing element.

11. The fluid sensor of claim 1, wherein the fluid is one of a urea solution, a gasoline fuel, a diesel fuel, an engine oil, a hydraulic fluid, and a transmission fluid.

12. A method of preventing gas bubbles in a sensing system for sensing a fluid contained in a tank, the sensing system including a sensing area and a sensor, the method comprising:

coupling a shroud to the sensing system, wherein the shroud has a textured area;

separating a liquid portion of the fluid and a gas portion of the fluid via the textured area;

allowing the liquid portion of the fluid to enter and exit the sensing area;

prohibiting the gas portion of the fluid entering the sensing area; and

sensing a characteristic of the fluid contained within the sensing area.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the textured area causes the fluid to follow a tortuous path.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the textured area includes one of a micro-vent, a micro-cavity, and a stipple.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the shroud include a retainer for coupling to the sensing system.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the retainer includes a strap.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the retainer includes a toe clip configured to capture a toe of the sensing system.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the shroud further includes a chimney configured to exhaust an entrapped gas portion of the fluid from the sensing area.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the sensing area is one of a measurement channel and a level sensing tube.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the sensor is one of a concentration sensor, a level sensor, and a temperature sensor.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the fluid is one of a urea solution, a gasoline fuel, a diesel fuel, an engine oil, a hydraulic fluid, and a transmission fluid.

22. A sensor operable to sense a characteristic of a fluid, the sensor comprising:

a sensing area configured to contain the fluid;

a textured area covering the sensing area, the textured area configured to

allow a liquid portion of the fluid to enter the sensing area, and

substantially prohibit a gas portion of the fluid to enter the sensing area; and

a transducer operable to

output a pulse of sound through the liquid portion of the fluid contained within the sensing area,

receive the reflected pulse of sound, and

output a characteristic of the fluid based on the received pulse of sound.

23. The sensor of claim 22, wherein the textured area causes the fluid to follow a tortuous path, the tortuous path configured to separate the liquid portion of the fluid from the gas portion of the fluid.

24. The sensor of claim 22, wherein the sensing area is one of a measurement channel and a level sensing tube.

25. The sensor of claim 22, wherein the characteristic is one of a concentration, a level, and a temperature.

26. The sensor of claim 22, wherein the fluid is one of a urea solution, a gasoline fuel, a diesel fuel, an engine oil, a hydraulic fluid, and a transmission fluid.

27. The sensor of claim 22, wherein the textured area covers the sensing area via a shroud.

28. The sensor of claim 27, wherein the shroud includes a chimney configured to exhaust an entrapped gas portion from the sensing area.

29. A shroud configured to overlay a sensor for sensing at least one characteristic of a fluid, the shroud comprising:

a main body including a top portion and a bottom portion;

a leg coupled to the bottom portion;

an exterior portion; and

an interior portion including a textured area, the textured area configured to

direct a liquid portion of the fluid toward a sensing area of the sensor, and

direct a gas portion of the fluid away from the sensing area of the sensor.

30. The shroud of claim 29, wherein the textured area causes the fluid to follow a tortuous path.

31. The shroud of claim 29, wherein the textured area includes a plurality of micro-vents.

32. The shroud of claim 29, wherein the textured area includes a plurality of micro-cavities.

33. The shroud of claim 29, wherein the textured area includes a plurality of stipples.

34. The shroud of claim 30, further comprising a retainer.

35. The shroud of claim 34, wherein the retainer includes a toe clip.

36. The shroud of claim 35, wherein the toe clip is configured to capture a toe of the sensor.

37. The shroud of claim 34, wherein the retainer includes a strap.

38. The shroud of claim 37, wherein the shroud further including a first side and a second side, and the sensor includes a bottom portion, further wherein the strap extends from the first side of the shroud, wraps around the bottom portion of the sensor, and releasably attaches to the second side of the shroud.

39. The shroud of claim 29, further comprising a chimney configured to exhaust an entrapped gas portion of the fluid from the sensing area.