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Claims |
1. An apparatus for the real time identification of the tagged working/functional fluids comprising a main fluid travelling conduit (
19) connecting a fluid entry port of the equipment/machine to the apparatus, an attachment section (
14) connecting the apparatus to the equipment/machine, an optical measurement section (
16), and a smart unit (
18) which is adapted to determine the identity of the fluid characterized by further comprising
a) a splitting region (
23) inside said conduit, splitting the conduit into at least two partial conduits: at least one measurement conduit (
15) and at least one further alternate conduit (
20) for functional fluid flow, and a unifying region (
24) where the at least one measurement conduit (
15) and the at least one further alternate conduits (
20) are unified into a main fluid travelling conduit (
19),
b) a directing means (
25) to direct the tagging material (
2) to the measurement conduit (
15) by generating electromagnetic force or electrostatic force
c) a tagging material concentrator section (
17) located in the vicinity of the measurement conduit (
15) comprising magnetic or dielectrophoretic concentrator (
10) to employ a magnetic field or an electric field.
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2. The apparatus according to
claim 1, wherein the tagging material (
2) comprises a concentrator material (
3) and a light emitting material (
4).
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3. The apparatus according to
claim 1, wherein the main fluid travelling conduit (
19) has a constant cross section.
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4. The apparatus according to
claim 1, wherein the main fluid travelling conduit (
19) has a variable cross section.
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5. The apparatus according to
claim 1, wherein the flow of the working/functional fluid is adapted to slow down or temporarily stop at the tagging material concentrator section (
17).
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6. The apparatus according to
claim 1, wherein the tagging material concentrator section (
17) is a magnetic unit which is adapted to capture the tagging material (
2) by using electromagnetic field gradient produced by directing means (
25).
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7. The apparatus according to
claim 6, wherein the directing means (
25) is a permanent magnet.
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8. The apparatus according to
claim 6, wherein the directing means (
25) is an electromagnet.
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9. The apparatus according to
claim 6, wherein the directing means (
25) is a combination of permanent magnet and electromagnet.
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10. The apparatus according to
claim 6, wherein the magnetic capture is enhanced with a low flow chamber in the main fluid travelling conduit (
19).
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11. The apparatus according to
claim 6, wherein the magnetic capture is enhanced with a mesh structure placed in the main fluid travelling conduit (
19).
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12. The apparatus according to
claim 6, wherein the magnetic capture is enhanced with an extra pool placed in the main fluid travelling conduit (
19).
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13. The apparatus according to
claim 6, wherein the captured tagging material (
2) is adapted to release with a valve (
22) upon completion of the tagging material (
2) identification.
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14. The apparatus according to
claim 1, wherein the optical measurement section (
16) comprises at least one light source (
11) and at least one photodetector (
12).
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15. The apparatus according to
claim 14 wherein at least one photodetector (
12) is coupled with optical filters (
13) to measure the spectrum of the emitted light.
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16. The apparatus according to
claim 14, wherein at least one photodetector (
12) has different color filters (
13) to identify different emission spectra.
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17. The apparatus according to
claim 14, wherein the emitted light from the tagging material (
2) is adapted to focusd and collect onto photodetectors (
12) using at least one lens (
21).
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18. The apparatus according to
claim 14, wherein the light source (
11) is focused on tagging materials (
2) using at least one lens (
21).
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19. The apparatus according to
claim 1, wherein the smart unit (
18) which is adapted to determine the identity of the fluid comprises:
d) a data base module that stores the registration numbers of approved working/functional fluid specific to that equipment/ machine,
e) a comparison module that compares the registration number read by detector with the stored registration number in the data base,
f) a memory module that records the all events based on comparison,
g) a diagnostic module that receives the data from the memory module, and
h) a transfer module that sends the data using a communication means to a receiver.
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20. A method for real time identification of a working/functional fluids used in equipment and machines comprising the steps of:
a) adding a tagging material (
2) comprising a concentrator material (
3) coupled with a light emitting material (
4) to the working/functional fluid,
b) filling the working/functional fluid by passing through the main fluid travelling conduit (
19) from a fluid entry port of the equipment/machine wherein said main fluid travelling conduit (
19) splits into at least two partial conduits: at least one measurement conduit (
15) and at least one further alternate conduit (
20) for functional fluid flow,
c) directing the tagging material to an at least one measurement conduit (
15) by a directing means (
25) which generates electromagnetic force or electrostatic force,
d) capturing the tagging material (
2) at tagging material concentrator section (
17) comprising magnetic or dielectrophoretic concentrator (
10) which employs a magnetic field or an electric field to increase the concentration of the tagging material (
2),
e) illuminating the concentrated tagging material (
2) with at least one light source (
11) to excite the light-emitting material (
4),
f) detecting the light emitted from the light-emitting material (
4) using at least one photodetector (
12)
g) transferring the reading to the smart unit (
18) for the determination of the identity of the fluid, and
h) releasing the tagging material (
2) into the working/functional fluid upon completion of the measurement.
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21. The method according to
claim 20, wherein the working/functional fluid is selected from engine oils, refined petroleum products, aqueous urea solutions, heat transfer fluids, transmission and hydraulic fluids, metalworking fluids and dielectric fluids.
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22. The method according to
claim 20, wherein the concentrator material (
3) is a magnetic nanoparticle.
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23. The method according to
claim 20, wherein the light emitting material (
4) is one or more organic light emitting molecules.
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24. The method according to
claim 20, wherein the light emitting material (
4) is one or more quantum dots.
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25. The method according to
claim 20, wherein the light emitting material (
4) is the combination of one or more organic light emitting molecules and one or more quantum dots.
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26. The method according to
claim 20, wherein the tagging material (
2) has a size between 10 to 1000 nm.
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27. The method according to
claim 20, wherein the concentrator material (
3) is a dielectric material whose dielectric coefficient is different than that of the fluid.
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28. The method according to
claim 20, wherein the light emitting material (
4) has emission wavelength between 380-1100 nm.
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29. The method according to
claim 20, wherein the concentrator has a magnetic field gradient.
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30. The method according to
claim 20, wherein the concentrator has an electric field gradient.
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31. The method according to
claim 30, wherein the electric field is a time-varying field.
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32. The method according to
claim 20, wherein following operations are processed by the smart unit (
18):
a) storing the registration numbers of approved working/functional fluid specific to that equipment/machine,
b) comparing the registration number read by detector with the stored registration number in the data base,
c) recording all the events based on comparison,
d) self-testing of the memory module, and
e) transferring the data using a communication means to a receiver.
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