Abstract: A deaerator includes gas nucleation media and a porous barrier. The deaerator may include growth media between the gas nucleation media and the porous barrier. The deaerator may be part of a system for removing gas from a fluid, where the system includes a tank with a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet and having a fluid flow path from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet, and where the deaerator is in the fluid flow path. A method for removing gas from a fluid includes passing the fluid through the deaerator defining a fluid flow path.

Abstract: An article includes a permeable material having a surface; and a hydrophobic coating on the surface forming a hydrophobic surface, the hydrophobic coating being free of fluorine, and the hydrophobic surface having a water-contact angle of 95 degrees or greater. The article may be a vent. A method of making the hydrophobic article includes applying a hydrophobic material onto a permeable material; and curing the hydrophobic material to form a hydrophobic surface. The hydrophobic coating may include siloxane.

Abstract: A hydrodynamic separator is configured to separate a liquid having dispersed particles. The separator has a substrate and a liquid channel defined by the substrate, where the liquid channel is configured to receive a liquid having a Reynolds number (Re) within the channel. The liquid channel has an inlet and an outlet and is curved to define an inner radius (RC). The liquid channel has a liquid channel length (LD) along the curve and a rectangular cross-section along the length of the curve, where the rectangular cross-section has a height, a width (w), and a hydraulic diameter (DH). The liquid channel length (LD) is greater than or equal to a linear focusing length (Lf), and L f = 1 ? 5 ? 9 ? 8 . 8 ? R c ? aw 2 ReD H 3 + 6 . 4 , where ? is the particle diameter. The liquid channel length (LD) is greater than or equal to a linear focusing length (Lf), and L f = 1 ? 5 ? 6 . 2 ? R c Re ? ( w D H ) 2 + 24.3 .

Abstract: A hydrodynamic separator is configured to separate a liquid having dispersed particles. The separator has a substrate and a liquid channel defined by the substrate, where the liquid channel is configured to receive a liquid having a Reynolds number (Re) within the channel. The liquid channel has an inlet and an outlet and is curved to define an inner radius (RC). The liquid channel has a liquid channel length (LD) along the curve and a rectangular cross-section along the length of the curve, where the rectangular cross-section has a height, a width (w), and a hydraulic diameter (DH). The liquid channel length (LD) is greater than or equal to a linear focusing length (Lf), and L f = 1598.8 R c ? ? ? w 2 Re ? D H 3 + 6 . 4 , where a is the particle diameter. The liquid channel length (LD) is greater than or equal to a linear focusing length (Lf), and L f = 1 ? 5 ? 6 . 2 ? R c Re ? ( w D H ) 2 + 24.3 .

Abstract: Embodiments herein relate to oil condition sensing systems and related methods. In a first aspect, an oil condition sensing system is included having a control circuit, a temperature sensor, and a fluid property sensor, wherein the fluid property sensor measures fluid properties including at least dielectric constant and the oil condition sensing system is configured to automatically detect when an oil change event has occurred, record the fluid property sensor data as new baseline fluid property data after an oil change event has occurred, and evaluate the condition of an engine oil based on a comparison with the baseline fluid property data. The oil condition sensing system can be configured to automatically detect the oil change event by evaluating signals from the fluid property sensor and interpret a change in dielectric constant and/or viscosity crossing a threshold value as an oil change event. Other embodiments are also included herein.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the technology disclosed herein relate to a system having a hydrodynamic separator element defining an element inlet and an element outlet. The element outlet has a first element outlet and a second element outlet. The hydrodynamic separator element has a plurality of curved microfluidic channels in fluid communication. Each of the plurality of microfluidic channels are arranged to operate in parallel. Each microfluidic channel defines a channel inlet downstream of the element inlet and a channel outlet having a first channel outlet upstream of the first element outlet and a second channel outlet upstream of the second element outlet. A flow characteristic sensor is in sensing communication with the separator element. A controller is in data communication with the flow characteristic sensor, where the controller is configured to provide a first alert upon the flow characteristic being outside a first threshold.

Abstract: The current technology relates to various filter elements configurations where a substrate layer defines a surface having a treatment. The treatment increases a roll off angle of the surface for a 50 water droplet when the surface is immersed in toluene. The filter element can have a housing and the substrate disposed in the housing. In some embodiments the substrate layer defines a plurality of pleats extending between pleat folds that form flow faces of the media. In some embodiments the substrate is incorporated into single facer media of a filter element. In some embodiments the substrate layer is incorporated in a filter element having a flow-by configuration. In some embodiments the substrate layer is incorporated in a filter element having a cross-flow configuration. Some embodiments relate to a vent. Some embodiments relate to a barrier assembly and/or a fuel filter element. Various other filter elements are described.

Abstract: A substrate for use in a filter media including, for example, in a hydrocarbon fluid-water separation filter; methods of identifying the substrate; methods of making the substrate; methods of using the substrate; and methods of improving the roll off angle of the substrate. In some embodiments, the substrate includes a hydrophilic group-containing polymer or a hydrophilic group-containing polymer coating.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the technology disclosed herein relate to a system having a hydrodynamic separator element defining an element inlet and an element outlet. The element outlet has a first element outlet and a second element outlet. The hydrodynamic separator element has a plurality of curved microfluidic channels in fluid communication. Each of the plurality of microfluidic channels are arranged to operate in parallel. Each microfluidic channel defines a channel inlet downstream of the element inlet and a channel outlet having a first channel outlet upstream of the first element outlet and a second channel outlet upstream of the second element outlet. A flow characteristic sensor is in sensing communication with the separator element. A controller is in data communication with the flow characteristic sensor, where the controller is configured to provide a first alert upon the flow characteristic being outside a first threshold.

Abstract: A filter material has a layer of porous material and a plurality of structures disposed on a surface of the layer, where each of the structures has a re-entrant geometry. The plurality of structures may be a plurality of ordered structures. A filter material may include a layer of porous material and a plurality of re-entrant structures disposed on a surface of the layer, each of the re-entrant structures including a stem and a cap, where the caps of adjacent structures are attached to each other to form a plurality of pores, where each pore is disposed between adjacent re-entrant structures.

Abstract: A filter material has a layer of porous material and a plurality of structures disposed on a surface of the layer, where each of the structures has a re-entrant geometry. The plurality of structures may be a plurality of ordered structures. A filter material may include a layer of porous material and a plurality of re-entrant structures disposed on a surface of the layer, each of the re-entrant structures including a stem and a cap, where the caps of adjacent structures are attached to each other to form a plurality of pores, where each pore is disposed between adjacent re-entrant structures.

Abstract: Embodiments herein relate to systems for detecting air bubbles in fluids. In an embodiment, a fluid system aeration detector is included having an optical air bubble sensor. The optical air bubble sensor can include a light source, a light detector, and a sensor controller. The sensor controller can be in signal communication with the light detector and can be configured to detect air bubbles based on the signals received from the light detector. The sensor controller can further be configured to estimate an amount of aeration of a fluid based on the detected air bubbles. Other embodiments are also included herein.

Abstract: A droplet detection system includes a sensing channel, such as a microfluidic channel, configured to receive a flow of fluid that may contain one or more liquid droplets dispersed in the fluid. The cross-sectional area of the sensing channel maybe configured to allow droplets of a predetermined size to flow through the channel one at a time. A light source, a light aperture, and a light detector are positioned outside the sensing channel, which use light in a selected frequency band that has a substantially different absorbance for the liquid compared to the fluid. Liquid droplets may be detected and characterized using a signal from the light detector.

Abstract: A droplet detection system includes a sensing channel, such as a microfluidic channel, configured to receive a flow of fluid that may contain one or more liquid droplets dispersed in the fluid. The cross-sectional area of the sensing channel maybe configured to allow droplets of a predetermined size to flow through the channel one at a time. A light source, a light aperture, and a light detector are positioned outside the sensing channel, which use light in a selected frequency band that has a substantially different absorbance for the liquid compared to the fluid. Liquid droplets may be detected and characterized using a signal from the light detector.

Abstract: Embodiments herein relate to water in fuel sensing systems that can be mounted on-vehicle. In an embodiment, a water in fuel sensing system is included having a light source, a light detector, and a sensor controller, wherein the sensor controller is in signal communication with the light detector and the sensor controller is configured to evaluate signals received from the light detector, identify water droplets based on the signals received from the light detector, record information regarding the classified water droplets, and generate an estimate of an amount of water in a fuel. Other embodiments are also included herein.

Abstract: Porous ePTFE articles coated with a hydrophilic coating are provided. The coating may be modified by covalent modifications to the PVOH coating. Covalent modifications may include small molecule grafting, polymer grafting to or from the PVOH backbone, modifying the PVAc precursor of the PVOH, crosslinking of the polymer via thermal or photochemistry, crosslinking of the polymer with a multifunctional crosslinking agent, and the like, and combinations thereof.

Abstract: An article includes a permeable material having a surface; and a hydrophobic coating on the surface forming a hydrophobic surface, the hydrophobic coating being free of fluorine, and the hydrophobic surface having a water-contact angle of 95 degrees or greater. The article may be a vent. A method of making the hydrophobic article includes applying a hydrophobic material onto a permeable material; and curing the hydrophobic material to form a hydrophobic surface. The hydrophobic coating may include siloxane.

Abstract: Articles containing coated porous substrates and methods of making and using the same are provided. The article may be a filter media. The article includes a porous substrate with a non-reactive base polymer; a reactive polymer disposed on at least a portion of the base polymer, the reactive polymer having a surface energy that is higher than a surface energy of the non-reactive base polymer; and a compound comprising a metal disposed on at least a portion of the reactive polymer. The compound may be disposed on the reactive polymer using vapor deposition.

Abstract: A separation assembly has a microfluidic separation element having a substrate layer. The microfluidic separation element defines an element inlet, a first element outlet, and a second element outlet. The first element outlet is defined by the substrate layer. A permeate draining layer abuts the substrate layer. The permeate draining layer is downstream of the first element outlet.

Abstract: The current technology relates to filter media configurations where the filter media has a surface with a treatment that increases the roll off angle of the surface for a 50 ?L water droplet when the surface is immersed in toluene. Some example filter media have a fluted configuration, and some example filter media have multiple layers. Filter media having multiple layers can be single facer media, for example, where one layer is planar and another layer is fluted.