Full-flow sensor for contamination in fluids

1. A sensing system comprising:

a housing having an inlet with a cross-sectional area for receiving a fluid flow from a source and an outlet with a cross-sectional area for directing a fluid flow from the housing, wherein a longitudinal axis transverses a center of the inlet and the outlet;

a flow conduit disposed in the housing and in fluid communication with the inlet and the outlet, the flow conduit having a cross-sectional area that is substantially the same as the cross-sectional area of the inlet and the outlet, wherein a first length of the flow conduit along a first axis is larger than a second length of the flow conduit along a second axis and the first length and the second length simultaneously vary in an inverse relationship along the longitudinal axis, and wherein the first axis and the second axis are perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing and the first axis is perpendicular to the second axis;

a light source for illuminating the fluid in the flow conduit at a portion thereof wherein the first length is at a maximum along the first axis; and

a sensor for detecting contaminants in the fluid based upon the illumination thereof.

2. A method for detecting contamination in a fluid, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a housing having an inlet with a cross-sectional area for receiving a fluid flow from a source and an outlet with a cross-sectional area for directing a fluid flow from the flow module, wherein a longitudinal axis transverses a center of the inlet and the outlet;

providing a flow conduit disposed in the housing and in fluid communication with the inlet and the outlet, the flow conduit having a cross-sectional area that is substantially the same as the cross-sectional area of the inlet and the outlet, wherein a first length of the flow conduit along a first axis is larger than a second length of the flow conduit along a second axis and the first length and the second length simultaneously vary in an inverse relationship along the longitudinal axis, and wherein the first axis and the second axis are perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing and the first axis is perpendicular to the second axis;

illuminating the fluid in the flow conduit at a portion thereof wherein the first length is at a maximum along the first axis; and

detecting contaminants in the fluid based upon the illumination thereof.

3. A full flow system for sensing particulate contaminants in a transient fluid comprising:

a source of fluid to be sensed;

a housing having an inlet, an outlet, and an intermediate fluid conduit interconnecting the inlet and the outlet, the intermediate fluid conduit having at least a first cross-sectional area to cause the fluid flowing therethrough to assume a ribbon having a width substantially longer than a thickness, the cross-sectional area of the inlet, the outlet, and the ribbon being substantially equal to enable a full flow of fluid therethrough, and an energy transmission means for transmitting energy through the width of the ribbon of the transient fluid being sensed;

a fluid conduit interconnecting the source of fluid to be sensed to the inlet of the housing; and

a detector for monitoring the energy transmitted through the width of the ribbon of fluid being sensed, the detector having a sensing area, wherein a size of the particulate contaminants sensed varies with a size of the sensing area.