Optical sensor window cleaner
AssigneeEntegris, Inc.
InventorTracy Gast
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sensor assembly includes a passageway for a process fluid, an optical window, an optical sensor, and a nozzle. The optical sensor configured to detect an optical property of the process fluid. The optical window includes an inner surface. The nozzle configured discharge an atomized fluid in a discharge direction that intersects the inner surface of the optical window. A sensor system includes a sensor assembly and conduits for supplying a gas and a liquid to a nozzle of the sensor assembly. A method of cleaning an optical window in a sensor assembly includes forming an atomized fluid and discharging the atomized fluid in a discharge direction that intersects the optical window.
Claims18
A sensor assembly, comprising:
- a passageway for a process fluid to flow through the sensor assembly;
- an optical window including an inner surface that forms a first portion of a sidewall of the passageway;
- an optical sensor configured to transmit light through the optical window towards the passageway to detect a refractive index of the process fluid;
- and
- a nozzle for discharging an atomized fluid containing a liquid and a gas wherein the gas disperses the liquid into droplets into the passageway in a direction that impacts the inner surface of the optical window;
- wherein the nozzle includes an outer channel for the gas and an inner channel for the liquid, the outer channel surrounding the inner channel, the nozzle forming the atomized fluid by combining the gas with the liquid.
A sensor system, comprising:
- a sensor assembly for a process fluid, the sensor assembly including:
- a passageway for the process fluid to flow through the sensor assembly;
- an optical window with an inner surface that forms a sidewall of the passageway;
- an optical sensor configured to transmit light through the optical window towards the passageway to detect a refractive index of the process fluid, and
- a nozzle for forming an atomized fluid containing a liquid and a gas wherein the gas disperses the liquid into droplets, the nozzle configured to discharge the atomized fluid into the passageway in a direction that impacts the inner surface of the optical window
- wherein the nozzle includes an outer channel for the gas and an inner channel for the liquid, the outer channel surrounding the inner channel, the nozzle forming the atomized fluid by combining the gas with the liquid;
- a first conduit fluidly connected to the nozzle for supplying the liquid to the nozzle;
- and
- a second conduit fluidly connected to the nozzle for supplying the gas to the nozzle.
A method of cleaning an optical window in a sensor assembly, the sensor assembly including a passageway and an optical sensor that transmits light towards a passageway via the optical window to detect a refractive index of a process fluid flowing through the passageway, the method comprising:
- forming an atomized fluid using a nozzle from a gas and a liquid wherein the gas disperses the liquid into droplets;
- wherein the nozzle includes an outer channel for the gas and an inner channel for the liquid, the outer channel surrounding the inner channel, the nozzle forming the atomized fluid by combining the gas with the liquid;
- and
- discharging the atomized fluid into the passageway in a direction that impacts an inner surface of the optical window.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.