Innovative Leakage Safety Detection System using TRIZ (Surendran Selladurai et al. (Intel, Malaysia), Japan TRIZ Symposium 2009; Introduction by Toru Nakagawa)

TRIZ Paper: Japan TRIZ Symposium 2009
Innovative Leakage Safety Detection System using TRIZ
Surendran Selladurai, Tiang Yee Wei , Ng Gim Loon (Intel, Malaysia)
The Fifth TRIZ Symposium in Japan, Held by Japan TRIZ Society on Sept. 10-12, 2009 at National Women's Education Center, Ranzan-machi, Hiki-gun, Saitama, Japan
Japanese translation of slides by Katsusuke Ichikawa, Introduction by Toru Nakagawa (Osaka Gakuin Univ.), Nov. 28, 2009
[Posted on Sept. 23, 2010]

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Editor's Note (Toru Nakagawa, Sept. 20, 2010)

This is one of the four real case study papers presented by Intel Malaysia last year at the 5th TRIZ Symposium in Japan, 2009. This was presented in a Poster Session.

The present paper written by Surendran Selladurai et al. reports a problem solving in improving the leakage detection of coolant in closed-loop cooling system of a large testing equipment. Looking at the problem more closely, the team understood the necessity of distinguishing the large and sudden leakage from the small, slow and nearly constant leakage of the coolant. The problem solving process and the final solution are described clearly and convincingly.

This page is composed as follows:

[1] Abstract

[2] Presentation slides in English in PDF ,
Presentation slides in Japanese translation by Katsusuke Ichikwa in PDF

[3] Nakagawa's introduction in English (Excerpt from "Personal Report of Japan TRIZ Symposium 2009")

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Abstract

Presentation slides

Presentation slides in Japanese

Nakagawa's Introduction

Nakagawa's Personal Report

Japan TRIZ Symposium 2009

Japanese page

[1] Abstract

Innovative Leakage Safety Detection System using TRIZ

Surendran Selladurai (Intel, Malaysia)

Abstract

S9K ( ITS9000) FX/GX ATE uses FC-77 coolant as a cooling agent circulating in a closed-loop refrigerated system to cool down the board components in the testers with hundreds of joins and connector to this board . FC-77 coolant can create a severe slip hazard if it spills or leaks as this liquid is colorless and odorless .The biggest challenge face by the team was to design a system capable of differentiating between leakage and natural losses ( FC-77 coolant has high evaporation rate ). This physical contradiction was resolved with the help of TRIZ which lead to a major breakthrough through its ability to distinguish between leakage and natural evaporation.

[2] Presentation Slides in PDF

Presentation Slides in English in PDF (11 slides, 124 KB)

Presentation Slides in Japanese in PDF (11 slides, 240 KB) (Japanese translation by Katsusuke Ichikawa

[3] Introduction to the Presentation (by Nakagawa)

Excerpt from:
Personal Report of The Fifth TRIZ Symposium in Japan, 2009, Part D. Case Studies in Industries
by Toru Nakagawa (Osaka Gakuin University), Nov. 28, 2009
Posted on Dec. 4, 2009 in "TRIZ Home Page in Japan"

Surendran Selladurai (Intel, Malaysia) [E04 P-A8] gave a Poster presentation on "Innovative Leakage Safety Detection System using TRIZ". The Author's Abstract is quoted here:

S9K ( ITS9000) FX/GX ATE uses FC-77 coolant as a cooling agent circulating in a closed-loop refrigerated system to cool down the board components in the testers with hundreds of joins and connector to this board . FC-77 coolant can create a severe slip hazard if it spills or leaks as this liquid is colorless and odorless .The biggest challenge face by the team was to design a system capable of differentiating between leakage and natural losses ( FC-77 coolant has high evaporation rate ). This physical contradiction was resolved with the help of TRIZ which lead to a major breakthrough through its ability to distinguish between leakage and natural evaporation.

The slide (right) shows the system of the problem. A large test equipment (ATE) is cooled by the closed-loop cooling system with fluorinert as the cooling liquid. The coolant is colorless and odorless and can have severe slip hazard if it leaks.

The problem of the present work were defined as shown in the next slide (below right). [It seems typical in Intel's case studies to describe the 'Original problem statement' first and then define the 'Actual problem statement' in a more specific manner.]

Thus they tried to design a leakage detection system of the coolant. Their preliminary design was to monitor the surface level of the coolant in its holding tank by using an ultrasonic sensor. Since the tank is large, they have to monitor the surface level with high precision to detect a certain volume of leakage. However, the coolant pump generates vibration of the tank and causes ripples of the surface level of the coolant, thus makes the monitoring difficult.

Looking at the problem more closely, the team understood the necessity of distinguish the large and sudden leakage from the small, slow and nearly constant leakage of the coolant.

With the help of TRIZ Inventive Principles, the team reached the solution as described in the slide (right). The solution has two basic ideas. (1) The surface level of the coolant in the closed-loop cooling system (instead of the holding tank) is now monitored directly by introducing a small secondary container. The position of the float sensor in the container is monitored without affected by the pump vibration. (2) For compensating the slow constant leakage, a restricted passage is installed between the coolant holding tank and the cooling system. This cancels the effect of normal leakage and allows close-up view of the possible incidence of accidental leakage which needs quick alert.