Kavlico Urea-Dosing Sensor Named 2009 Design News Golden Mousetrap Finalist

September 17, 2009

MOORPARK, Calif. – Kavlico, a global business unit of Custom Sensors & Technologies (CST) is pleased to announce that its Urea-Dosing Sensor was named finalist in the Electronics Section, Sensors & Vision subcategory of the Design News Golden Mousetrap Awards 2009.

For more than two decades, the Design News Awards Program has recognized engineering innovation and creativity in product design. This year, Golden Mousetrap awards were given in four major categories: Electronics, Motion Control/Automation, Hardware/Software, materials/Fastening/Joining/Assembly, and 20 subcategories. Editor Jennifer Roy gathered a record number of entries, distributing them to our beat editors for judging. Based on their expertise in each technology area, 71 finalists and 23 winners were selected.

Kavlico’s urea-air dosing sensor utilizes a (AUS32) Aqueous Urea Solution 32.5% or AdBlue™ in Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) after-treatment systems with diesel engines. This (AUS32) solution is high purity urea in de-mineralized water that is clear, non-toxic, and safe to handle.

Kavlico’s urea-dosing sensor generates an output used to provide feedback to the SCR system to assist in optimizing the reduction of NOx emissions by monitoring the SCR system and helping to determine the appropriate amount of AdBlue reducing agent to be delivered to the catalytic converter module.

AdBlue is carried on-board SCR-equipped trucks and buses in specially designed tanks and it is dosed into the SCR system at a rate equivalent to 3–5% of diesel consumption. The low dosing rate ensures long refill periods and minimizes the tank’s impact on chassis space. Currently used throughout Europe, Japan, Australia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, New Zealand, and Singapore in on-highway SCR systems, urea dosing will become prevalent in North America due to legislative limits placed upon NOx emissions.

Kavlico’s urea-dosing pressure sensor utilizes a ceramic capacitive sense element for pressure ranges up to 25 Bar and a thin film (TiON) sense element for pressure ranges above 25 Bar. The sensor is packaged in a durable, all-stainless steel housing. Requiring a 5 Vdc power supply, the sensor provides a 0.5 to 4.5 Vdc linear amplified analog output proportional to pressure.

Other significant features of this high accuracy, rugged sensor include the ability to operate in high vibration environments, the capability to withstand high overpressures, and operate over a temperature range of -40 to +130°C.

Karen Field, Design News Editor-in-Chief states “Design News congratulates the winners and finalists of the 2009 Golden Mousetrap Awards for the great work they’ve done to develop new and innovative products for design engineers. These products showcase the highly imaginative ways that today’s engineers are ‘building a better mousetrap,’ and we thank them for their contributions.”

About Kavlico

Kavlico is an operation of Custom Sensors & Technologies (CST). Kavlico is a leading manufacturer of pressure, position (LVDT & RVDT), force, level, tilt, media quality, and other specialty sensors, and transducers for the transportation, industrial and aerospace & defense markets. www.kavlico.com

About Custom Sensors & Technologies

Headquartered in Moorpark, CA, Custom Sensors & Technologies (CST) unit is comprised of the industry-leading brands of Crouzet, Kavlico, Crydom, as well as the former divisions of BEI Technologies, including Newall and Systron Donner. CST provides sensors, controls, and actuation products for the transportation, industrial and aerospace & defense markets. www.cstsensors.com

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