AU2019474231A1 - Diagnostic breather dryer - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatuses, systems, and methods are provided for a breather (100) for a reservoir is provided, including a housing (112) including a plurality of valves (620, 630), the plurality of valves including (i) at least one valve in a first configuration configured to permit fluid communication from an interior portion of the housing with air outside the reservoir, and (ii) at least one valve in a second configuration configured to permit air to selectively pass between outside the breather and an interior portion of the breather. The breather further includes a plurality of first openings in the housing (114) configured to be in fluid communication with air outside of the reservoir, a second opening of the housing (116) configured to be in fluid communication with air inside the reservoir, and desiccant (118) positioned within the housing.

Description

i

DESCRIPTION

DIAGNOSTIC BREATHER DRYER

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates generally to breathers for liquid reservoirs. More particularly, the present invention relates †o humidify controlling breathers for liquid reservoirs.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] Breathers allow for expansion of liquids and gases (e.g., air) in liquid (e.g., lubricant) reservoirs while preventing contamination of the liquid. For liquid reservoirs such as engine crank cases and lubricant storage reservoirs, wafer vapor and dust particles in the air can be pulled info the liquid by the expansion and contraction action of the air and liquid in the reservoir with changes in temperature or barometric pressure of the surrounding environment and the contents of the reservoir (i.e., fluid level changes in the reservoir). Currently, breathers are replaced on a schedule, whether the breathers are a† the end of their useful life or no† because i† is difficult †o tell when a breather has reached the end of its useful life. Alternatively, breathers utilize color changing desiccants †o indicate when the breather has reached the end of its useful life and needs replacement. The color changing desiccants require transparent breather housings which are generally weaker than opaque breather housings, present chemical incompatibility issues, and the chemicals used †o change color may be considered toxic under some guidelines. Further, the color change may be fain†, difficult †o see depending on the location and environment of the reservoir and breather, and therefore difficult †o interpret. For example, breather dryers (e.g., desiccant breathers) are commonly mounted on lubricating fluid reservoirs in large forma† wind turbines. The nacelles in these turbines are typically cramped and include many poorly li†, hard †o reach areas near lubrication reservoirs where breathers are located. Visibility of the breather and any color change is therefore difficult †o see. Additionally, the nacelle may typically only be accessed when the wind turbine is shut down (i.e., stopped and no† generating power).

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Aspects of the present invention provide a breather apparatus with desiccant therein.

[0004] In one aspect, a breather for a reservoir is provided, including a housing including a plurality of valves, the plurality of valves including (i) a† leas† one valve in a firs† configuration configured †o permit fluid communication from an inferior portion of the housing with air outside the reservoir, and (ii) af leas† one valve in a second configuration configured †o permit air †o selectively pass between outside the breather and an interior portion of the breather.

[0005] The breather further includes a plurality of first openings in the housing configured to be in fluid communication with air outside of the reservoir, a second opening of the housing configured to be in fluid communication with air inside the reservoir, and desiccant positioned within the housing.

[0006] In another aspect, a breather for a reservoir includes a housing including a plurality of first openings in the housing configured to be in fluid communication with air outside of the reservoir, and a plurality of vent plugs configured to be coupleable to at least one of the plurality of first openings. The breather may include a second opening of the housing configured to be in fluid communication with air inside the reservoir, desiccant positioned within the housing, and a cap including a valley therein configured to correspond to a lip at a top portion of the housing to form a seal when placed in contact, the cap having a domed exterior surface.

[0007] Numerous other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following disclosure when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Fig. 1 illustrates a side cutaway view of an exemplary embodiment of a breather having a humidity sensor according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0009] Fig. 2 is a flow chart of an exemplary embodiment of a method of determining an end of life condition of a breather according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0010] Fig. 3 is a side cutaway view of an exemplary embodiment of a breather having dual humidity sensors according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0011] Fig. 4 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a partial view of a breather according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0012] Fig. 5 illustrates a bottom view of an exemplary embodiment of a breather according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0013] Fig. 6 illustrates a bottom view of an exemplary embodiment of a base ring of the breather housing according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0014] Fig. 7 illustrates a raised perspective view of a base ring of the breather housing of Fig. 6 according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0015] Fig. 8 illustrates a partial front view of an exemplary embodiment of a breather according †o aspects of the present disclosure.

[0016] Fig. 9 illustrates a front view of an exemplary embodiment of a cap according †o aspects of the present disclosure.

[0017] Fig. 10 illustrates a lower right perspective view of a cap according †o aspects of the present disclosure.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0018] While the making and using of various embodiments of the present invention are discussed in detail below, if should be appreciated that the present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts that can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific ways †o make and use the invention and do no† delimit the scope of the invention.

[0019] To facilitate the understanding of the embodiments described herein, a number of terms are defined below. The terms defined herein have meanings as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the areas relevant †o the present invention. Terms such as "a," "an," and "the" are no† intended †o refer †o only a singular entity, bu† rather include the general class of which a specific example may be used for illustration. The terminology herein is used †o describe specific embodiments of the invention, bu† their usage does no† delimit the invention, except as se† forth in the claims.

[0020] Referring †o FIG. 1 , a breather 100 for a reservoir includes a housing 112, a firs† opening in the housing 114, a second opening in the housing 116, a desiccant 118, a humidity sensor 102, and a controller 104. The firs† opening in the housing 114 is configured †o be in fluid communication with air outside of the reservoir. The second opening in the housing is configured †o be in fluid communication with air inside the reservoir.

[0021] The desiccant 118 is positioned within the housing 112 such †ha† air passing through the breather 100 from the outside †o the inside of the reservoir must pass through the desiccant 118. Air passing from the outside †o the inside of the reservoir may bypass the desiccant 118 or be routed through the desiccant 118.

[0022] The humidity sensor 102 is positioned within the housing 112. The humidity sensor 102 is operable †o provide a humidity signal indicative of the humidity level adjacent the humidity sensor 102. In one embodiment, the breather 100 further includes a temperature sensor 120 associated with (e.g., positioned in or near) the housing 112. In one embodiment, the humidity sensor 102 is integral with the temperature sensor 120. The temperature sensor 120 is also electrically connected †o the controller 104, and the temperature sensor 120 is operable †o provide a temperature signal indicative of a temperature adjacent the temperature sensor 120 to the controller 104. In one embodiment, the housing 1 12 includes an adapter to locate the humidity sensor 102, pressure sensor 140, and/or temperature sensor 120 remote from a main portion of the housing 1 12.

[0023] The controller 104 is electrically connected †o the humidify sensor 102. The controller 104 may be local †o the housing 1 12 or remote from the housing 1 12. The controller 104 may be electrically connected †o the humidify sensor 102 via a wired or wireless communications link. The communications link may be analog or digital. The controller 104 is operable †o determine an end of life condition of the breather 100 as a function of the humidify signal received from the humidify sensor 102. In one embodiment, the controller 104 is operable †o determine the end of life condition as a function of the humidify signal received from the humidify sensor 102 and the temperature sensor received from the temperature sensor 120. The controller 104 uses the temperature signal and the humidify signal †o determine a relative humidify associated with the desiccant 1 18. In actual usage, the relative humidify stabilizes after initial installation of the breather 100 on the reservoir, and the breather 100 reaches the end of its useful life (i.e., end of life) when the relative humidify reaches a predetermined maximum relative humidify. In one embodiment, the relative humidify may stabilize a† approximately 20 to 25% and increase generally linearly up †o the maximum relative humidify (i.e., the relative humidify indicating end of life or end of useful life of the breather 100) of approximately 40%. In one embodiment, the controller 104 is operable †o determine the end of life condition by determining an estimated time of life remaining or an estimated percentage of life remaining as a function of the determined relative humidify and a historical rate of change of the relative humidify calculated by the controller based on previous relative humidify calculations.

[0024] In one embodiment, the breather 100 further includes a display 130. The display 130 is electrically connected †o the controller 104. The display 130 may be local †o the controller 104 or remote from the controller 104. The electrical connection between the display 130 and the controller 104 may be wired or wireless, and may communicate data in an analog or digital forma†. The controller 104 is operable †o provide an end of life signal indicative of the end of life status (i.e., end of life condition) determined by the controller 104. The display 130 is operable †o receive the end of life signal from the controller 104 and display †o an observer an indication of the end of life status of the breather 100 as a function of the received end of life signal. The end of life signal is indicative of a† leas† one of a relative humidity value, a percentage of life remaining, and an estimated remaining time of life. The end of life status displayed by the display 130 includes the a† leas† one relative humidity value, percentage of life remaining, or estimated remaining time of life indicated by the end of life signal provided by the controller 104.

[0025] In one embodiment, the breather 100 further includes a pressure sensor 140. The pressure sensor 140 is positioned within the housing 112 such that air passing through the breather 100 from the inside of the reservoir to the desiccant 118 must pass by the pressure sensor 140. The pressure sensor 140 is operable to provide a pressure signal indicative of an air pressure adjacent the pressure sensor 140 to the controller 104. The controller 104 is further configured to determine a fall condition when the pressure signal indicates that the air pressure adjacent the pressure sensor 140 is above a predetermined pressure limit. In operation, when this pressure is above the predetermined limit, it can be inferred that the airflow requirements of the reservoir have not been properly matched to an appropriately sized breather (i.e., a larger capacity breather should be used with the given reservoir), the breather 100 is improperly installed, or has reached particulate or humidity saturation (i.e., end of life or end of useful life) and is no longer effective. In one embodiment, the pressure sensor 140 is a differential pressure sensor comprising a first pressure sensor in fluid communication with the air inside the reservoir and a second pressure sensor in fluid communication with the air outside the reservoir. In this embodiment, when the differential pressure sensed by the pressure sensor 140 exceeds a predetermined limit, the controller 104 is operable to determine the fault condition and communicate the fault condition to the display 130 for display to an observer.

[0026] In one embodiment, the housing 112 includes a rigid or semi-rigid body 142 and a cap 146. The breather 100 has a foam bottom 160, a foam top 162, a particulate filter bottom 164, a particulate filter top 166, and a filter ring 190. A space between the foam top 162 and cap 146 defines a breather headspace 170. The foam top 162 is between the desiccant 118 and cap 146. The breather 100 includes a standpipe 110. The standpipe 110 has a standpipe bottom end 106 and a stand standpipe top end 108. The standpipe bottom end 106 includes a threaded section 180 operable to engage corresponding threads of the reservoir. In one embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, the humidity sensor 102 is substantially surrounded by the desiccant 118. That is, the humidity sensor 102 is located within the desiccant 118. In another embodiment, the humidity sensor 102 is located within the breather cap headspace 170 of the breather 100. In one embodiment, the pressure sensor 140 is also included located within the breather cap headspace 170. In another embodiment, the humidity sensor 102 is located within the standpipe 110. It is contemplated that the humidity sensor 102 may be located within the desiccant 118, partially within desiccant 118 on the second opening 116 side of the desiccant 118 such that air has to flow past the humidity sensor 102 as it passes between the desiccant 118 and the second opening 116, or outside of the desiccant 118 on the second opening 116 side of the desiccant 118 such that air has †o flow past the humidify sensor 102 as it passes between the desiccant 118 and the second opening 116. It is contemplated within the scope of the claims that the breather 100 may include any number of firs† openings 114 and any number of second openings 116. In embodiment, the firs† opening(s) 114 includes a 2-way, pressure limited check valve. The check valve reduces exposure of the desiccant 118 to the atmosphere †o prolong the useful life of the desiccant 118 and thus breather 100. The pressure limit prevents small fluctuations in pressure in the reservoir from drawing air through the desiccant 118 while allowing larger, less transient pressure changes †o draw air through the desiccant 118 and maintain the proper pressure in the reservoir (e.g., approximately atmospheric or environmental pressure). In one embodiment, the check valve is limited a† 0.2 psi in either direction.

[0027] During ou†-brea†hing, as moisturized air from the reservoir headspace enters the standpipe bottom side 106 and flows upward into the breather headspace 170. The air then passes through the foam filter top 162 and particulate filter 166 to remove the dus† particles over 3 microns ou† of the air. The air then passes through the desiccant 118 where moisture gets absorbed or adsorbed from the air.

[0028] During in-brea†hing, breather 100 draws air from the surrounding space in through the firs† opening 114. This air firs† comes through the bottom foam filter 160, then the bottom particulate filter 164 where particles over 3 microns are removed. The air then passes through the desiccant 118 where moisture is absorbed or adsorbed by the desiccant 118, and clean, dry air enters in †o the top side of standpipe 108, where it can flow into the reservoir headspace.

[0029] In one embodiment, the initial installation of the breather 100 on the reservoir includes removing the breather 100 from packaging, attaching the breather 102 threads of the reservoir corresponding †o the threaded portion 180 of the standpipe 110, and providing power †o the controller 104. Following initial installation, as desiccant 118 absorbs or adsorbs moisture from the reservoir headspace and relative humidity in the reservoir headspace and breather 100 decrease. In one embodiment, the controller 104 is configured †o ignore the humidity signal from the humidity sensor 102 until the humidity signal indicates †ha† the humidity level adjacent the humidity sensor 102 has decreased below a predetermined maximum humidity level. In one embodiment, the predetermined maximum humidity level is a relative humidity level, and the controller 104 determines †ha† the humidity level adjacent the humidity sensor 102 has decreased below the predetermined maximum humidity level as a function of both the temperature signal provided by the temperature sensor 120 and the humidity signal provided by the humidity sensor 102. In another embodiment, the controller 104 is configured †o ignore the humidity signal for a predetermined period of time after initial installation of the breather 100 on the reservoir †o allow the humidify adjacent the humidify sensor 102 †o drop below the predetermined maximum humidify level. As continuous in-breafhing and ou†-brea†hing of the air continues, desiccant 1 18 gradually reaches its full saturation capacity and will no longer absorb or adsorb the moisture out of the air passing therethrough. This allows moisturized air pass through and flow in and out of the tank headspace if the breather 100 is no† replaced.

[0030] Referring †o Fig. 2, a method 200 of determining an end of life condition of the breather 100 begins a† 202 when the controller 104 receives power. A† 204, the control delays program as a function of time or a calculator relative humidity as described above †o allow the humidity inside the breather 100 to stabilize. In one embodiment, the controller 104 delays the star† of the humidity sensor monitoring cycle for a predetermined period of time †o allow the humidity in the reservoir and desiccant 1 18 to stabilize following installation of the breather 100 on the reservoir. I† is contemplated within the scope of the claims †ha† the delay may be more or less than 24 hours depending on the intended environment of the breather 100 including the system properties (e.g., volume of reservoir, headspace of reservoir, number of breathers, etc.). A† 206, the controller 104 reads the temperature sensor 120 and the humidity sensor 102. A† 208, the controller 104 calculates the actual relative humidity in the breather 100 based on the data read from the temperature sensor 120 and the humidity sensor 102. A† 210, the controller 104 determines whether the relative humidity is greater than 40%. If the controller determines †ha† the relative humidity is no† greater than 40%, then the controller 104 provides the relative humidity †o the display 130 (e.g., an LCD display) for display †o an observer and again samples the temperature sensor 120 and the humidity sensor 102 a† 206. If the controller 104 determines †ha† the relative humidity is greater than 40% a† 210, then the controller 104 senses the relative humidity †o the display 134 display †o an observer a† 214. A† 214, the controller 104 may also se† an alarm or provide additional input †o the display 130 indicating †ha† the breather 100 has reached the end of its useful life. The method ends a† 216 when the controller 104 ceases †o receive power. [0031] It is contemplated †ha† the breather 100 disclosed herein may be used with reservoirs containing lubricating oils, hydraulic fluids, and special chemicals †o protect those contents from moisture and particulate ingestion under virtually any condition in any application. I† is also contemplated †ha† the desiccant 1 18 may include Silica Gel (All Varieties); Activated Alumina; Molecular Sieve (All Varieties); Activated Carbon/Charcoal (All Varieties); Alumino Silcate gels: KC- Trockenperlen® N, KC-Trockenperlen® WS: Calcium Sulfate: ZR gel Grain (ZRJI): Sodium Polyacrylafe; Hygroscopic salfs/deliquescenf salts; and Glycols, or any combination thereof. In one embodiment, electronic components (e.g., the controller 104 and display 130) are encapsulated in moisture impermeable material (e.g., epoxy resin) to avoid particle contamination and premature failure.

[0032] Referring to Fig. 3, in one embodiment, the breather 100 includes dual humidity sensors. The humidity sensor 102 is a first humidity sensor 102 positioned within the housing 112 and substantially surrounded by the desiccant 118. The first humidity sensor 102 is operable to provide a first humidity signal indicative of a first humidity level adjacent the first humidity sensor 102 to the controller 104.

[0033] A second humidity sensor 302 may be integral with the pressure sensor 140 and position within the housing 112 such that air passing through the breather 100 from the inside of the reservoir to the desiccant 118 and vice versa must pass by the second humidity sensor 302. The second humidity sensor 302 is operable to provide a second humidity signal indicative of a second humidity level adjacent the second humidity sensor to the controller 104. It is contemplated within the scope of the claims that the second humidity sensor 302 may be located within a thread adapter for adapting the threads of the threaded portion or section 180 of the housing 112 to threads of a corresponding section of the reservoir. In such an embodiment, the housing 112 is considered to include the thread adapter.

[0034] The controller 104 is electrically connected to both the first humidity sensor 102 and the second humidity sensor 302. The controller is operable to receive the first humidity signal from the first humidity sensor 102 and the second humidity signal from the second humidity sensor 302. The controller 104 is operable to determine an end of life condition of the breather 100 as a function of the first humidity signal and the second humidity signal. When the first humidity level indicated by the first humidity signal is approximately equal to or greater than the second humidity level indicated by the second humidity signal, the controller 104 operates normally as described above to determine the end of life condition by determining the relative humidity associated with the first humidity sensor 102.

[0035] In one embodiment, when the first humidity level indicated by the first humidity signal is less than the second humidity level indicated by the second humidity signal, the controller 104 can determine a fault condition. The first humidity level being less than the second humidity level indicates that the reservoir has not dried completely (i.e., the relative humidity at the second humidity sensor 302 is still trending downward after initial installation of the breather 100 on the reservoir) or that moisture is getting into the reservoir in some way. In one embodiment, the controller 104 differentiates between initial installation and moisture penetration into the reservoir as a function of the rate of decrease of the relative humidify af the second humidify sensor 302 and the time after initial installation (i.e. power up of the controller 104). That is, if the rate of decrease of the relative humidify of the second humidify sensor 302 decreases without a corresponding increase in the humidify af the firs† humidity sensor 102, then the controller 104 determines †ha† there is water intrusion into the reservoir. In this embodiment, the controller 104 only determines the fault condition when the controller 104 determines †ha† there is water intrusion into the reservoir.

[0036] In one embodiment, the determined end of life condition is another fault condition. The controller 104 determines a dewpoint as a function of the pressure signal from the pressure sensor 140 and the temperature signal from the temperature sensor 120. When the second humidity level adjacent the second humidity sensor 302 indicates †ha† the second humidity level is greater than the dewpoint, the controller 104 determines the fault condition. In one embodiment, the controller 104 is operable †o transmit fault conditions (i.e., end-of-life conditions) †o remote terminals or displays 130.

[0037] Fig. 4 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a partial view of a breather 400 according †o aspects of the present disclosure. The breather 400 may include one or more components of the breather 100 described previously herein. The breather 400 may include a housing 410. The housing 410 may be equivalent †o the housing 112 previously described herein in various embodiments. The housing 410 may include one or more ribs 412 around an outer surface of the housing 410. The ribs 412 may be formed by providing a recess or cavity of the outer surface of the housing 410 and may be used †o provide a gripping surface, †o increase structural integrity, and/or †o reduce an overall material cos† in various embodiments. The housing 410 may be configured †o contain one or more elements there, such as a desiccant 118.

[0038] The breather 400 may include a cap 420 a† an exterior surface of the breather 410, for example a† a top surface of the housing 410. The cap 420 may be equivalent †o the previously described cap 146 in various embodiments. In various embodiments, the cap 146, 420 may be removably coupleable †o the breather 100, 400, 800, for example via a valley a† an interior portion of the cap 146, 420 with a lip or other external surface of the housing of the breather 100, 400, 800 as described below with reference †o Fig. 10. Although illustrated a† a top surface of the housing 410 it should be appreciated †ha† a† leas† a portion of a cap 420 may be placed a† any outer surface of the housing 410 without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Additional features of the cap 420 are described below with reference †o Fig. 9.

[0039] The breather 400 may include a† leas† one firs† opening 430. The a† leas† one firs† opening 430 may be equivalent, in various embodiments, to the first opening 1 14 previously described herein. The firs† opening 430 in the housing 410 may be configured †o be in fluid communication with air outside of the reservoir depending upon a status of a ven† plug 440 coupleable thereto. A† leas† one ven† plug 440 may be configured †o permit fluid communication from an interior portion of the housing 410 of the breather 100, 400, 800 with air outside of the breather 100, 400, 800. A† leas† one ven† plug 440 may be optionally configured †o permit fluid communication between air outside of the breather 100, 400, 800 and an interior portion of the housing 410 of the breather 100, 400, 800. The breather 400 may further include a threaded section 180 and a second opening 1 16 as previously described with reference †o Fig. 1.

[0040] Fig. 5 illustrates a bottom view of an exemplary embodiment of a breather according †o aspects of the present disclosure. The breather 400 may include a base ring 500 a† a bottom portion thereof. The base ring 500 may form par† of the breather 400 and/or may be separately coupleable in various embodiments. The base ring 500 may include a† leas† one ven† plug 440 configured †o correspond †o a† leas† one firs† opening of the housing 400. A plurality of ven† plugs 440 may be coupled †o one another via a† leas† one connector 510. In various embodiments, a size, shape, and/or geometry of a† leas† one ven† plug 440 and/or connector 510 may be provided according †o a particular design or operating parameter associated with the breather 400 and/or a reservoir †o which the breather 400 is coupleable. The valve ring size, shape, and/or geometry may be used †o provide noise elimination and/or airflow optimization. In the embodiment illustrated by Fig. 5, a standpipe plug 520 may be selectively coupled †o the second opening 116. The standpipe plug 520 may be used †o block a† leas† a portion of the second opening 1 16 and may be removeable, either in whole or in par†.

[0041] Fig. 6 illustrates a bottom view of an exemplary embodiment of a base ring according †o aspects of the present disclosure. The base ring 600 or a portion thereof may be coupleable inside a breather 100, 400, 800, for example between the base ring 500 and the desiccant 1 18. A filter (e.g., bottom foam filter 160 and/or particulate filter 164) may optionally be configured †o be placed either above the base ring 600 or below the base ring 600 in various embodiments. The base ring 600 may include a† leas† one valve 620, 630. The base ring 600 may be configured †o connect with a† leas† one valve 620, 630 in a firs† or second configuration. For the purposes of discussion herein, the valves 620, 630 may be identical in a† leas† one aspect of shape and/or configuration bu† are no† limited †o such. The valve 620 illustrated by Fig. 6 may be viewed as a firs† configuration, whereby a flat face of the valve 620 faces outwardly from the exterior of the base ring 600 relative a breather 100, 400, 800 to which the base ring 600 is connectable. The valve 620 may be configured †o permit air †o selectively pass between an inferior portion of the breather 100, 400, 800 and outside the reservoir. The valve 630 may be viewed as a second configuration and may be configured †o permit air †o selectively pass between outside of the breather 100, 400, 800 and an inferior portion of the breather 100, 400, 800. The valve 630 may be configured alongside the base ring 600 such that a† leas† one passageway 632 is formed †o permit airflow between the interior of the breather 100, 400, 800 and external †o the breather 100, 400, 800. Although two passageways 632 are illustrated for each valve 630 in Fig. 6 it should be appreciated †ha† a single or a plurality of passageways 632 may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. The valve 630 may include a notch 634 configured †o restrict movement of the valve 630 relative †o the base ring 600. A† leas† a portion of an outer surface of the base ring 600 may be flared or provide an outer radius larger than a† leas† a portion of the breather 100, 400, 800 to expand a distance outward from the breather 100, 400, 800 a† which any water or moisture might drip from the breather 100, 400, 800.

[0042] Fig. 7 illustrates a raised perspective view of a base ring of Fig. 6 according †o aspects of the present disclosure. The interior portion 700 of the base ring 600 may include one or more valves 620, 630. Each valve 620, 630 may be provided in a firs† configuration or a second configuration and previously described with reference †o Fig. 6. The valve 620 illustrated by Fig. 6 may be viewed as a firs† configuration, whereby a flat face of the valve 620 faces outwardly from the exterior of the base ring 600 relative a breather 100, 400, 800 †o which the base ring 600 is connectable. The valves 630 illustrated by Fig. 7 may be viewed as a second configuration with a flat face of the valves 630 facing inwardly towards an interior portion of the housing 112, 410 of the breather 100, 400, 800. The valve 620 may be configured †o permit air †o selectively pass between an interior portion of the breather 100, 400, 800 and outside the reservoir, for example via a† leas† one firs† opening 430. The valve 620 may be configured alongside the base ring 600 such †ha† a† leas† one passageway 622 is formed †o permit airflow between the interior of the breather 100, 400, 800 and external †o the breather 100, 400, 800 (e.g., via a† leas† one firs† opening 430). Although two passageways 622 are illustrated for each valve 620 in Fig. 7 it should be appreciated †ha† a single or a plurality of passageways 622 may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. The valve 620 may include a notch 624 configured †o restrict movement of the valve 620 relative †o the base ring 600.

[0043] Fig. 8 illustrates a partial front view of an exemplary embodiment of a breather according †o aspects of the present disclosure. The breather 800 includes a housing 112, 410 optionally having at least one rib 412. At least a portion of a standpipe 110 may be configured †o pass through a† leas† a portion of an interior space of the housing 112, 410. In various embodiments, a ratio of the longitudinal length of a housing 112, 410 to a length of the standpipe 110 may be predetermined, determined, and/or adjustable, for example by selecting standpipe 110 having an appropriate size, a housing 112, 410 sized appropriately †o a standpipe 110, and/or providing a† leas† one of a standpipe 110 and/or housing 112, 410 having an adjustable size. A ratio of a size or length of the housing 112, 410 to the standpipe 110 may be selected or otherwise implemented †o provide optimized airflow conditions within the breather 100, 400, 800. A second opening 116 and threaded section 180 be located a† a base of the breather 800. A† leas† one firs† opening 430 may be provided a† a base ring of the breather 800, and may optionally be filled, either in whole or in par†, with a† leas† a portion of a ven† plug 440.

[0044] Fig. 9 illustrates a front view of an exemplary embodiment of a cap according †o aspects of the present disclosure. The cap 420 includes a body 910 having a connecting end 920 and an enclosing end 950. In various embodiments, the cap 420 may be configured in such a manner as †o be removeably coupleable with the breather 100, 400, 800, for example a† the housing 112, 410 thereof in the manner previously described herein. The connecting end 920 may include a† leas† one rib 930. The rib 930 may be configured †o provide a gripping surface, for example for use in placing, replacing, or adjusting a cap 420 and/or breather 100, 400, 800. A lip 940 be positioned a† an exterior surface of the cap 420. A† leas† one of the lip 940 and/or rib 930 may be used, for example, †o remove excess moisture away from the housing 112, 410 of the breather 100, 400, 800 in various embodiments. A† leas† a portion of the enclosing end 950 may form a domed shape a† an exterior surface thereof. The domed surface may be configured †o provide structural integrity †o the cap 420 and/or breather 100, 400, 800, may be used †o promote air flow within the breather 100,400, 800, and may provide more efficient water run off a† a surface thereof relative †o a non-domed surface.

[0045] Fig. 10 illustrates a lower right perspective view of a cap according †o aspects of the present disclosure. The cap 420 includes a† leas† one valley 1000 a† an interior portion thereof. A† leas† a portion of one valley 1000 may be configured †o correspond †o a lip a† a top portion of the housing 112, 410 to form a seal when placed in contact. The cap 420 may also include a† leas† one standoff 1010. A† leas† one standoff 1010 may be configured †o function as a spacer between the cap 420 and the breather 100, 400, 800, may be configured †o increase structural integrity of a† leas† a portion of the cap 420, and/or may be used †o direct airflow within the cap 420 and/or a† leas† a portion of the breather 100, 400, 800.

[0046] I† will be understood by those of skill in the art that information and signals may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques (e.g., data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof). Likewise, the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both, depending on the application and functionality. Moreover, the various logical blocks, modules, and circuits described herein may be implemented or performed with a general purpose processor (e.g., microprocessor, conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, state machine or combination of computing devices), a digital signal processor ("DSP"), an application specific integrated circuit ("ASIC"), a field programmable gate array ("FPGA") or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed †o perform the functions described herein. Similarly, steps of a method or process described herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. A software module may reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, if will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

[0047] A controller, processor, computing device, client computing device or computer, such as described herein, includes a† leas† one or more processors or processing units and a system memory. The controller may also include a† leas† some form of computer readable media. By way of example and no† limitation, computer readable media may include computer storage media and communication media. Computer readable storage media may include volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology †ha† enables storage of information, such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Communication media may embody computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and include any information delivery media. Those skilled in the ar† should be familiar with the modulated data signal, which has one or more of its characteristics se† or changed in such a manner as †o encode information in the signal. Combinations of any of the above are also included within the scope of computer readable media. As used herein, server is no† intended to refer to a single computer or computing device. In implementation, a server will generally include an edge server, a plurality of data servers, a storage database (e.g., a large scale RAID array), and various networking components. It is contemplated that these devices or functions may also be implemented in virtual machines and spread across multiple physical computing devices.

[0048] This written description uses examples to disclose the invention and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.

[0049] It will be understood that the particular embodiments described herein are shown by way of illustration and not as limitations of the invention. The principal features of this invention may be employed in various embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize numerous equivalents to the specific procedures described herein. Such equivalents are considered to be within the scope of this invention and are covered by the claims.

[0050] All of the compositions and/or methods disclosed and claimed herein may be made and/or executed without undue experimentation in light of the present disclosure. While the compositions and methods of this invention have been described in terms of the embodiments included herein, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that variations may be applied to the compositions and/or methods and in the steps or in the sequence of steps of the method described herein without departing from the concept, spirit, and scope of the invention. All such similar substitutes and modifications apparent to those skilled in the art are deemed to be within the spirit, scope, and concept of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0051] Thus, although there have been described particular embodiments of the present invention of a new and useful DIAGNOSTIC BREATHER DRYER it is not intended that such references be construed as limitations upon the scope of this invention except as set forth in the following claims.

Claims (15)

CLAIMS Wha† is claimed is:

1. A breather for a reservoir, said breather comprising: a housing including a plurality of valves, the plurality of valves including (i) of leas† one valve in a firs† configuration configured †o permit fluid communication from an interior portion of the housing with air outside the reservoir, and (ii) a† leas† one valve in a second configuration configured †o permit air †o selectively pass between outside the breather and an interior portion of the breather: a plurality of firs† openings in the housing configured †o be in fluid communication with air outside of the reservoir: a second opening of the housing configured †o be in fluid communication with air inside the reservoir: and desiccant positioned within the housing.

2. The breather of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a plurality of ven† plugs configured †o be coupleable †o a† leas† one of the plurality of valves.

3. The breather of claim 2, wherein a† leas† two of the plurality of ven† plugs are coupled †o one another by a† leas† one connector.

4. The breather of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a† leas† one valve coupleable †o a† leas† one of the plurality of firs† openings.

5. The breather of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a plurality of valves coupled †o one another using a connector, the plurality of valves including a† leas† one valve in a firs† configuration configured †o permit fluid communication from an interior portion of the housing with air outside of the reservoir.

6. The breather of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a plurality of valves coupled †o one another using a connector, the plurality of valves including a† leas† one valve in a second configuration configured †o permit air †o selectively pass between outside the breather and an interior portion of the breather.

7. The breather of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a plurality of ribs extending outwardly from the housing.

8. The breather of claim 1, wherein the breather comprises a cap including a valley therein configured †o correspond †o a lip a† a top portion of the housing †o form a seal when placed in contact.

9. The breather of claim 8, wherein the cap includes a domed exterior surface.

10. A breather for a reservoir, said breather comprising: a housing including a plurality of firs† openings in the housing configured †o be in fluid communication with air outside of the reservoir, and a plurality of ven† plugs configured †o be coupleable †o a† leas† one of the plurality of firs† openings; a second opening of the housing configured †o be in fluid communication with air inside the reservoir; desiccant positioned within the housing; and a cap including a valley therein configured †o correspond †o a lip a† a top portion of the housing †o form a seal when placed in contact, the cap having a domed exterior surface.

11. The breather of claim 10, wherein a† leas† two of the plurality of ven† plugs are coupled †o one another by a† leas† one connector.

12. The breather of claim 10, wherein the housing includes a plurality of valves coupled †o one another using a connector, the plurality of valves including a† leas† one valve in a firs† configuration configured †o permit fluid communication from an interior portion of the housing with air outside of the reservoir.

13. The breather of claim 10, wherein the housing includes a plurality of valves coupled †o one another using a connector, the plurality of valves including a† leas† one valve in a second configuration configured †o permit air †o selectively pass between outside the breather and an interior portion of the breather.

14. The breather of claim 10, wherein the housing comprises a plurality of ribs extending outwardly from the housing.

15. The breather of claim 10, wherein the housing further comprises a plurality of valves, the plurality of valves including (i) a† leas† one valve in a firs† configuration configured †o permit fluid communication from an interior portion of the housing with air outside the reservoir, and (ii) a† leas† one valve in a second configuration configured †o permit air †o selectively pass between outside the breather and an interior portion of the breather.