EVALUATION OF FLUID QUALITY WITH SIGNALS

Abstract

Systems, apparatuses, and methods for evaluation of fluid quality are provided. The system includes a vessel containing a quantity of fluid. At least one sensor is positioned to emit at least one signal into the quantity of fluid. A temperature sensor is configured to sense a temperature of the quantity of fluid. A computerized device is in communication with the at least one sensor and the temperature sensor. The processor of the computerized device calculates at least a fluid identity of the quantity of fluid and determines a quality of the quantity of fluid based on the at least one signal from the at least one sensor and the sensed temperature of the quantity of fluid. The system may have a particular benefit in evaluating dielectric fluid degradation used in liquid cooled centers and other settings.

Claims

1. A system for evaluation of fluid quality comprising: a vessel containing a quantity of fluid; at least one sensor positioned to emit at least one signal into the quantity of fluid; a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of the quantity of fluid; and a computerized device in communication with the at least one sensor and the temperature sensor, wherein a processor of the computerized device calculates at least a fluid identity of the quantity of fluid and determines a quality of the quantity of fluid based on the at least one signal from the at least one sensor and the sensed temperature of the quantity of fluid.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor of the computerized device also calculates a fill level of the quantity of fluid within the vessel.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the quantity of fluid comprises a dielectric fluid.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the processor-determined quality of the dielectric fluid identifies a degradation of the dielectric fluid.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is positioned exterior of the vessel.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is positioned within an interior space of the vessel.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor or the temperature sensor further comprise a plurality of sensors, wherein each sensor of the plurality of sensors is in communication with another sensor, directly or indirectly.

8. A system for evaluation of a fluid quality of dielectric fluid, the system comprising: a vessel containing a quantity of dielectric fluid; at least one electronic device submerged in the quantity of dielectric fluid; at least one sensor positioned to emit at least one signal into the quantity of dielectric fluid; a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of the quantity of dielectric fluid; and a computerized device in communication with the at least one sensor and the temperature sensor, wherein a processor of the computerized device determines a quality of the quantity of dielectric fluid based on the at least one signal from the at least one sensor and the sensed temperature of the quantity of fluid.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor of the computerized device also calculates a fill level of the quantity of dielectric fluid within the vessel.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor-determined quality of the dielectric fluid identifies a degradation of the quantity of dielectric fluid.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the sensor is positioned exterior of the vessel.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the sensor is positioned within an interior space of the vessel.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one sensor or the temperature sensor further comprise a plurality of sensors, wherein each sensor of the plurality of sensors is in communication with another sensor, directly or indirectly.

14. A method of evaluating fluid quality, the method comprising: providing a vessel containing a quantity of fluid; positioning at least one sensor proximate to the vessel; emitting at least one signal into the quantity of fluid from the at least one sensor; sensing a temperature of the quantity of fluid with a temperature sensor; and using a processor of a computerized device in communication with the at least one sensor and the temperature sensor, calculating at least a fluid identity of the quantity of fluid and determining a quality of the quantity of fluid based on the at least one signal from the at least one sensor and the sensed temperature of the quantity of fluid.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising calculating, with the processor of the computerized device, a fill level of the quantity of fluid within the vessel.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the quantity of fluid comprises a dielectric fluid.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising identifying a degradation of the dielectric fluid.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein positioning the at least one sensor proximate to the vessel further comprises positioning the at least one sensor exterior of the vessel.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein positioning the at least one sensor proximate to the vessel further comprises positioning the at least one sensor within an interior space of the vessel.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one sensor or the temperature sensor further comprise a plurality of sensors, wherein each sensor of the plurality of sensors is in communication with another sensor, directly or indirectly.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Many aspects of the disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatical illustration of a system for evaluating fluid quality, in accordance with a first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] FIG. 2 is a diagrammatical illustration of the system for evaluating fluid quality, in accordance with a first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 3 is a diagrammatical illustration of a system for evaluating fluid quality having a mesh network architecture, in accordance with the first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 4 is a diagrammatical illustration of a system for evaluating fluid quality having a mesh network architecture, in accordance with the first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 5 is a diagrammatical illustration of a system for evaluating fluid quality, in accordance with the first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of evaluating fluid quality, in accordance with the first exemplary embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] Acoustic waves or signals, and other types of waves or signals, are beneficial for use with measurements, and in particular, for measurements of fluid and other materials within metal enclosures and other acoustically transparent enclosures. In accordance with this disclosure, the fluid may include any type of liquid, gas, sludge, starch, paraffine, or similar material which continually flows or deforms when subject to a shear stress or external force. These types of enclosures may be prevalent in various commercial and industrial settings, such as processing plants, nuclear power stations, power grid transformers, and data centers, as well as in facilities that process automotive fluids, such as brake fluid and motor oil. These enclosures may include underground or buried containers, as is the case with many gas tanks, or they may be in settings where access is difficult, e.g., in a hazardous environment or at an elevated height on a tower.

[0018] In one specific example, it is common to use dielectric fluid to submerge electronics in data centers and large-scale computing environments. Dielectric fluid is an electrically non-conductive liquid that has a very high resistance to electrical breakdown. In these facilities, electronics alone, or electronics combined with mechanical components, are enclosed within containers and submerged in a dielectric fluid which is often required for the specific application in a controlled area such as a hazardous environment. For instance, with electrical equipment, dielectric fluid protects against electrical sparks or excessive heat that could ignite gasses or dust in hazardous environments. Additionally, the use of dielectric fluid may provide additional benefits, such as increasing component lifetimes by controlling temperature changes and viscosity changes within the electronics and minimizing corrosion.

[0019] However, a major risk when using dielectric fluid is quality control of the fluid, for example, to ensure it has the desired properties and is at the correct level with the vessel. If the dielectric fluid breaks down or degrades in quality, which is prone to happen over time, it can lead to inefficiencies and malfunctions with the electronics submerged therein. Additionally, if the physical level of the dielectric fluid within the vessel drops too low, it may expose the electronic components to the surrounding atmosphere, thereby leaving them prone to overheating or sparking. For instance, a leak within a vessel or container holding the dielectric fluid would, over time, reduce the amount of dielectric fluid, eventually exposing the electronics increasing heat, corrosion and risk a potential ignition in a hazardous environment. Further, not all dielectric fluids are compatible. When dielectric fluids are replaced, an incompatible mixture of the fluid can lead to accelerated degradation, which in turn, leads to reduced protection for the electronics and system parts, or even damage.

[0020] It is noted that heat generation in electronics may vary in intensity over time due to the unpredictability of the electronic processing that generate the heat. In computer datacenters, the computer hardware that is submerged in the dielectric fluid or other coolant liquid runs tasks determined by the needs of clients of that datacenter. Therefore, modeling this process is inheritable difficult, and it may be important to measure the temperature of the dielectric fluid as well as fluid quality to be able to determine degradation of the dielectric fluid cooling capabilities in real time.

[0021] To improve upon these issues, the subject disclosure is directed to a system for evaluating fluid quality 10. FIG. 1 is a diagrammatical illustration of a system for evaluating fluid quality 10 and FIG. 2 is a diagrammatical illustration of the system for evaluating fluid quality 10, in accordance with a first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. With respect to FIGS. 1-2, the system for evaluating fluid quality 10, which may be referred to herein simply as ‘system 10’ includes a vessel 20 containing a quantity of fluid 12. The vessel 20 may include any type of container or similar structure that is capable of holding or transporting a quantity of fluid 12 or another material. In FIGS. 1-3, the vessel 20 is depicted as a container which is holding a quantity of dielectric fluid in which electronic devices 30 are submerged. The vessel 20 may be one of many similar containers used in a liquid cooled electronics center, such as one which houses computer or network servers or the like.

[0022] At least one sensor 40 is positioned on the vessel 20 or within the vessel 20. The sensor 40 or sensors may be positioned on an exterior surface of the vessel 20, such as attached to an exterior surface of the vessel 20 sidewall or bottom, as is depicted in FIG. 1. In FIG. 2, the sensor 40 is illustrated as being positioned within the vessel 20 itself. For instance, the sensor 40 may be submerged within the fluid 12 within the vessel 20. The sensor 40 may be considered a fluid identification sensor and may include one or more of a variety of different types of sensors, commonly acoustic sensors, but other sensors, such as optical, electrical, or another type may also be used. For clarity in this disclosure, the sensor 40 is described as an acoustic sensor having one or more transducers which are capable of emitting one or more acoustic waves or signals into the fluid 12.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, the sensor 40 may include two transducers 42, 44 which are positioned to emit one or more acoustic signals or acoustic waves 46 into the fluid 12. In FIG. 1, the sensor 40 is depicted as emitting one acoustic wave 46 from a bottom of the vessel 20 towards a top of the vessel 20. One of the transducers 42 on the sensor 40 can identify the material identity of a fluid 12 inside the vessel 20, which in turn, is used to determine the fluid 12 quality. For example, an acoustic signal 46 is transmitted into the fluid 12 within the vessel 20 to identify that the fluid 12 in the enclosure is a dielectric fluid or another fluid material type, which can then be used to determine whether that material fluid is within an acceptable quality level. This can be achieved by the sensor 40 identifying whether the material fluid 12 detected in the vessel 20 corresponds to that of a good quality fluid or a degraded quality fluid.

[0024] In operation with a vessel 20 containing a dielectric fluid as the fluid 12, the specific fluid type may be either known or unknown. For example, the vessel 20 may be filled with a fluid 12 which is specifically known to be a certain chemical or substance, or the type of fluid 12 within the vessel 20 may be unknown. If the fluid type is unknown, the sensor 40 may be capable of accurately identifying the dielectric fluid 12. For instance, an acoustic sensor may use known acoustic metrics which are temperature-compensated against a database to identify the specific liquid type. Other types of sensors may use other metrics for determining the fluid identity.

[0025] It is noted that the acoustic wave 46 emitted from transducer 42, which is used to determine material identity, may traverse in any direction within the vessel 20, such as from the bottom to the top, from side to side, from top to bottom, diagonal, or in another other direction, or it my detect fluid parameters at a wall of the vessel 20 without traveling through the fluid. Additionally, the acoustic wave 46 may traverse through all of the fluid 12 in a cross section or directional line within the vessel 20, or through only a portion of the fluid 12. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, it is possible to have one or more signals 46A which traverse only part way through the fluid 12 with a high-frequency wave, and a second signal 46B which is emitted through substantially all of the fluid 12, e.g., from the bottom to the top of the vessel 20. The acoustic wave or waves 46A which travers only part way through the fluid 12 may allow for sensing enough properties of the fluid 12 to determine its identity without needing a clear line of sight across the vessel 20. This may be particularly beneficial for vessels 20 with many devices 30 therein, in which there is little unobstructed signal pathways across the vessel 20.

[0026] The acoustic wave 46B which traverses through a full path of the fluid 12 may be emitted by the other transducer 44, and may be used to determine a fill level or a quantity of the fluid 12 within the vessel 20. For this transducer 44, the signal 46B may traverse through the fluid 12 from a bottom surface thereof to a top surface layer 14, and reflects down to the sensor 40 such that a determination can be made on whether the fluid level has changed and/or the volume of the fluid 12 within the vessel 20. This determination results in an extremely accurate fill level measurement of the fluid 12 within the vessel.

[0027] It is noted that the sensor 40 may include any additional number of transducers which can be used to provide duplicative sensing capabilities, or to sense other aspects of the surrounding setting. For instance, the sensor 40 may use additional transducers to sense a full path of the fluid 12 in multiple directions, e.g., up and down, side to side, etc., or a transducer may be used to sense material properties of the vessel 20 itself, such as the structural condition of a vessel 20 sidewall as well as temperature profile and map the fluid degradation throughout the vessel 20. Any number of sensors 40 and transducers may be used, all of which are considered within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0028] The system 10 further includes a temperature sensor 50 which is is configured to sense a temperature of the fluid 12 within the vessel 20. It is noted that there may be multiple temperature sensors 50 sensing the temperature of the fluid at multiple locations within the vessel 20 or elsewhere. The temperature sensor 50 is shown in FIG. 1 mounted inside the vessel 20 to determine the temperature of the fluid 12, but it is noted that the temperature sensor 50 may be located inside, outside or within the vessel 20 wall, or in another position. The temperature of the fluid 12 may be taken through direct temperature measurement, e.g., from the temperature sensor 50, or from ambient temperature calculation or other techniques. All types of temperature sensors 50 can be used, including infrared temperature sensors, thermistors, other temperature sensing devices, or any combination thereof. With the type of fluid 12 material identified, any change in the fluid identity or change in the fluid level may indicate a potential problematic situation. For dielectric fluid, one potential risk is that the electronics could suffer harm or inefficiency due to degraded dielectric fluid or dielectric fluid which is below a necessary level or volume.

[0029] It is noted that the operation and functionality of the system 10 can be implemented or achieved by placing the sensors 40, 50 on an exterior wall of the vessel 20 or within an interior space or compartment of the vessel 20, such that the sensors 40, 50 are in direct contact with the fluid 12. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the sensor 40 may be adhered to the inside of the vessel 20 or otherwise placed therein, or as shown in FIG. 1, the sensor 40 may be mounted or otherwise positioned on an outside of the vessel 20. Similarly, the temperature sensor 50 can be located inside or outside the vessel 20 in a convenient position for sensing temperature of the fluid 12. The vessel 20 does not need to be emptied or otherwise opened in order to configure the system 10 when the sensors 40, 50 are mounted outside. In other examples, the temperature sensor 50 could be positioned in other locations and would not necessarily need to be in contact with the fluid 12 or the vessel 20.

[0030] A computerized device 60 is in communication with the sensor 40 and the temperature sensor 50 with a wireless or wired communication line 62, such that a processor of the computerized device 60 is capable of receiving data and information from the sensor 40 and temperature sensor 50. This data is received by the processor which then computes or determines fluid identity of the fluid 12. For instance, using the data from the sensors 40, 50, the processor can determine that the material identity of the fluid 12 is a particular type of dielectric fluid. Based on this determination, the processor can determine a quality of the fluid 12, for instance, if the fluid 12 has suffered from any degradation or other break downs which may affect its quality. For example, any fluid degradation or contamination, or fluid additive, may result in a change in the fluid identification, such that the system 10 can differentiate between uncontaminated or non-degraded fluid and fluid which has been contaminated or has degraded. Thus, the fluid 12 can be identified in such a way that the quality of a parameter of the fluid is detectable, which in turn is used to assess the quality of the fluid 12 overall. While the system 10 can be used with a variety of fluids 12 to determine various quality parameters of the fluid, the system 10 may have a particular benefit in evaluating dielectric fluid degradation used in liquid cooled centers and other settings.

[0031] Additionally, the determination of fluid quality may be implemented through calculations completed by the computerized device 60 or another computing or processing system. To evaluate dielectric fluid 12 degradation, the processor of the computerized device 60 may determine the identity of the fluid 12 at two or more times, or at predetermined time intervals, based on at least the sensed fill level provided by fluid identity sensor 40 and the temperature from temperature sensor 50. The computerized device 60 may receive the sensed information via signals 62 from the sensors, which may be wired, wireless, or any combination thereof. The computerized device 60 may be a hand-held computing device such as a tablet computer, a smart phone, a reader, a laptop, or a stationary computing device, or any other electronic device capable of receiving the signals and calculating the data points using algorithms and processing. The computerized device 60 may include a display screen or GUI which provides relevant information to a human user, or it may be interconnected with another computing device through a network or the Internet to transfer the relevant information elsewhere.

[0032] When a determination of the fluid 12 quality or fluid quantity is made, the computerized device 60 may be in communication with an alarm 70 or warning device, as shown in FIG. 1, in order to alert personnel about the situation. This alarm 70 or warning device may include an electronic message such as an e-mail, a phone call, an audible or visual warning, or another type of alert to a control system of the facility. With this alarm, a user can take appropriate actions to correct the issue. While the type of situation which causes an alarm may change based on the type of fluid, for dielectric fluid, a chance in quality, condition, temperature, viscosity, and/or volume may cause the alarm to trigger. For example, the control system, once alerted, could execute specific actions based on the alert provided. This could include shutting down an entire facility or a unit thereof either through a specific set of shut-down steps or directly by turning off a power supply to the electronics that are submersed in the dielectric fluid. Additionally, the computerized device 60 can track the quality of fluid over a period of time and issue warnings or alerts to users of an impending issue.

[0033] It may also be possible for the computerized device 60 to perform additional assessments and/or predictive analysis based on the data received from the sensors 40, 50 and provide advance notice of anticipated situations. For example, the computerized device 60 can determine the volume of the fluid 12, or a remaining portion of the fluid 12 within the vessel 20. Using a predetermined condition based on the liquid density and identification of the fluid 12, the computerized device 60 can issue notifications to other components or parts of the system architecture. It is also possible to assess predetermined rates or patterns of flow of the fluid 12 within the vessel 20 to provide more accurate assessments, e.g., after 100 detected processing cycles for a particular fluid, the fluid is determined to be degraded. It is also possible to track the quality of the fluid 12 over a period of time, such that the quality of the fluid 12 after each cycle, each week, each month is determined.

[0034] In facilities with numerous vessels 20 or with a vessel 20 that is large, it may be possible to allow different sensors 40, 50 to communicate directly or indirectly with one another. FIG. 3 is a diagrammatical illustration of a system for evaluating fluid quality 10 having a mesh network architecture, in accordance with the first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of vessels 20 are provided, where the sensors 40, 50 may be formed as a mesh network where detected situations in one sensor 40 can be provided to another sensor 40 directly through one or more communication lines 62, or indirectly through a computerized device 60. In another example, FIG. 4 is a diagrammatical illustration of a system for evaluating fluid quality 10 having a mesh network architecture, in accordance with the first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, where a large vessel 20 may have two or more material identification sensors 40 positioned at opposing ends, and when one sensor 40 detects a change in material identity, it may communicate the change to the other sensor 40.

[0035] While in FIGS. 1-4, the sensor 40 is depicted as being on the bottom of the vessel 20 such that the signal 46 or signals can be transmitted upwards towards the surface 14 of the fluid 12, it is also possible to place the sensor 40 on a sidewall of the vessel 20. To this end, FIG. 5 is a diagrammatical illustration of a system for evaluating fluid quality 10, in accordance with the first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, in which the sensor 40 is positioned on a sidewall of the vessel 20, such that the sensor 40 can detect a fill level of the fluid 12 in the vessel 20. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the fluid identity sensor 40 is positioned on the exterior of the vessel 20 above the fluid level that would expose the electronics 30 or other system components. While one sensor 40 with two transducers 42, 44 are depicted, any number of sensors in any positions and with any orientations may be used, all combinations of which are considered within the scope of the present disclosure. In this example, if the fluid 12 level dropped below the sensor 40, an alarm can be sounded indicating that the electronics 30 are at risk of being extricated from the fluid 12.

[0036] It may be beneficial to provide a plurality of transducers at different heights along the vessel 20, such that different warnings can be provided at different fluid 12 levels. In another example, it is possible to detect the identity of the fluid 12 without electronics 30 or other devices therein, for the purpose of identifying the quality of the fluid 12. For instance, the system 10 can be used to determine the quality of chemicals in chemical treatment baths which do not continuously have objects therein.

[0037] While it is possible to use a plurality of sensors 40, the exact number of sensors 40 may depend on the design and implementation of the system 10. For example, in some situations, it may be advantageous to utilize a single acoustic sensor 40 positioned on the bottom wall of the vessel 20, due to efficiency and lower material expense. However, for vessels 20 which do not allow access to their bottom walls, such as those sitting on the ground surface, placing sensors 40 on the sidewalls may be more beneficial. The identification sensor 40 may also be mounted at the top level of the vessel 20 to ensure that the necessary dielectric fluid is covering all of the electronics 30 inside the vessel 20. In these specific level locations, the sensor 40 identifies the appropriate dielectric fluid and determines that the fluid level in the vessel 20 is adequate to provide the required electrical protection for the devices 30.

[0038] It is also noted that given the properties of dielectric fluid inside the vessel 20 and the wall of the vessel 20 to transmit heat, as well as the flow pattern of the dielectric fluid inside the vessel 20, it may be possible for the temperature of the circuits submerged in liquid to be estimated. The flow pattern of the dielectric fluid may be predetermined, therefore more thermal sensors may need to be applied so the temperature profile inside the vessel 20 can be determined accurately. Additionally, because of the unpredictability of the heat generation by the electronics in the dielectric fluid, it may be beneficial to measure the quality of the fluid at the inside surface of the wall of the vessel 20, and then use the signal that is traversing the vessel 20 as an indicator of the internal temperature gradient.

[0039] FIG. 6 is a flowchart 100 illustrating a method of evaluating fluid quality, in accordance with the first exemplary embodiment of the disclosure. It should be noted that any process descriptions or blocks in flow charts should be understood as representing modules, segments, portions of code, or steps that include one or more instructions for implementing specific logical functions in the process, and alternate implementations are included within the scope of the present disclosure in which functions may be executed out of order from that shown or discussed, including substantially concurrently or in reverse order, depending on the functionality involved, as would be understood by those reasonably skilled in the art of the present disclosure.

[0040] As is shown by block 102, a vessel containing a quantity of fluid is provided. At least one sensor is positioned proximate to the vessel (block 104). At least one signal is emitted into the quantity of fluid from the at least one sensor (block 106). A temperature of the quantity of fluid is sensed with a temperature sensor (block 108). Using a processor of a computerized device in communication with the at least one sensor and the temperature sensor, at least a fluid identity of the quantity of fluid is calculated and a quality of the quantity of fluid is determined based on the at least one signal from the at least one sensor and the sensed temperature of the quantity of fluid (block 110). Any number of additional steps, functions, processes, or variants thereof may be included in the method, including any disclosed relative to any other figure of this disclosure.

[0041] It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure, particularly, any “preferred” embodiments, are merely possible examples of implementations, merely set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the disclosure. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiment(s) of the disclosure without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the disclosure. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and the present disclosure and protected by the following claims.