Sentelligence, Inc

Background

Sentelligence was founded in 2000 with the mission of developing a proprietary sensor platform technology at a low market price.

The first product by Sentelligence was a sensor designed to measure oil condition in real time based upon optical spectral measurement. The technology was developed in conjunction with the Donaldson Company, a leading oil and air filtration manufacturer located in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  This sensor was designed to complement the implementation of smart and extended life filters by providing positive feedback on the performance of the filter as a function of oil quality.

The core product technology became a platform for Sentelligence, providing expansion opportunities for its portfolio into new areas of application within the automotive market and beyond. An example of such an adaptation of this platform was the timely development of a unique urea quality sensor, designed to meet the evolving requirements of the diesel engine emissions market.  As a result, the product helped to drive the needs of the engine and vehicle companies to meet the requirements of the regulatory organizations, this was prior to the implementation of global regulations. In its final form this sensor provides both an in-line and in-tank solution for the market. Furthermore, the core technology provides the ability to rapidly transition to other fluid applications, such as on-board fuel, coolant and transmission fluid monitoring.

In March of 2008, Sentelligence was granted Patent Number 7,339,657B2. This patent, as filed, is comprehensive and covers a broad range of spectral measurement scenarios. This enables Sentelligence to cover a large number of product options and formats. Sentelligence sensor technology company filed its second patent specific to its smart fluid monitoring, with a focus on urea quality sensing technology in June of 2011.

Since its inception, Sentelligence has continued to identify additional product and market opportunities for its platform technology. One of the first products identified was the urea quality sensor. In mid 2006, Sentelligence collaborated with DaimlerChrysler of Stuttgart, Germany to develop and test the urea quality sensing technology. In September of 2011, the company signed an exclusive licensing agreement for the commercialization of its urea technology platform with Measurement Specialties, Inc., (now TE Connectivity). Today, the urea quality sensor is currently commercially available as an in-tank submersible optical sensor through TE Connectivity.

Today, Sentelligence has expanded its product platforms to include gas monitoring for alternative fuels such as natural gas, propane and bio gas. The technology can be applied on vehicles or static applications such as industrial power generation. Additionally, Sentelligence is currently working on the development of high temperature gas monitoring applications for exhaust gas speciation to include NOx, SOx, and ammonia slip from diesel engine exhaust.

Core Technology:

Optical Spectroscopy

Most liquids and gases provide unique signatures when there is an interaction with light of certain wavelengths. The wavelength interaction is a function of the molecular structure of the materials that are present. This is the basic premise of optical spectroscopy, the underlying foundation of our technology.

Core Technology:

Optical Spectroscopy

Most liquids and gases provide unique signatures when there is an interaction with light of certain wavelengths. The wavelength interaction is a function of the molecular structure of the materials that are present. This is the basic premise of optical spectroscopy, the underlying foundation of our technology.

There are two main attributes of optical spectral measurements as a sensing technology:

The specific Wavelengths used which correlate to what materials are present and the amount of light or energy absorption at those Wavelengths which correlates to how much material is present.

This basic concept allows for material-specific, quantitative measurement to be implemented in a compact, hardened sensing device. The use of optical sensors is not uncommon in industrial and automotive arenas, but the extension to include wavelength specificity and hence material specificity in a sensor package is unique.

Sentelligence has designed proprietary optical-based platforms for the measurement of a range of fluids, gases and vapors based on light absorption at specific wavelengths. What makes these new sensor platforms different is that multiple wavelengths are used, and an optical signature is obtained that is used to characterize and to determine the composition of the fluids. Because the spectral response from different materials can be determined independently, signatures of a known combination of wavelengths can be used to confirm the identity of specific fluids.

Each sensor has built-in intelligence and a dedicated microprocessor handles the spectral data processing and the interpretation of the spectral data. The microprocessor can provide digital output in the form of simple serial communications, or an industry specific, structured output from standard CAN-Bus communications.

Spectral sensors can be configured to give discrete wavelength outputs for simple sensing to full range spectra in the form of a micro-spectral sensor for more complex applications.