Entries |
Document | Title | Date |
20080271525 | Micromachined mass flow sensor and methods of making the same - A mass flow sensor is manufactured by a process of carrying out a micro-machining process on an N or lightly doped P-type silicon substrate with orientation <100>. This mass flow sensor comprises a central thin-film heater and a pair of thin-film heat sensing elements, and a thermally isolated membrane for supporting the heater and the sensors out of contact with the substrate base. The mass flow sensor is arranged for integration on a same silicon substrate to form a one-dimensional or two-dimensional array in order to expand the dynamic measurement range. For each sensor, the thermally isolated membrane is formed by a process that includes a step of first depositing dielectric thin-film layers over the substrate and then performing a backside etching process on a bulk silicon with TMAH or KOH or carrying out a dry plasma etch until the bottom dielectric thin-film layer is exposed. Before backside etching the bulk silicon, rectangular openings are formed on the dielectric thin-film layers by applying a plasma etching to separate the area of heater and sensing elements from the rest of the membrane. | 11-06-2008 |
20080307880 | Ceramic Honeycomb Body and Method for Producing the Same - A honeycomb body includes ceramic walls all being entirely formed of printed layers forming channels through which a fluid can flow. The channels lie next to one another. At least one of at least one measuring sensor or electrically conductive mass forms a monolithic, unitary structure with one of the ceramic walls. Sensor material may be used as an alternative to ceramic material. A method of producing the honeycomb body is also provided. | 12-18-2008 |
20090090177 | Thermal Flow Meter, Thermal Flow Meter Control Method, and Sensor Element of Thermal Flow Meter - A thermal flow meter corrects flow rate detection errors produced by vaporization of liquid phase components included in a gas to be measured. The thermal flow meter includes a correction circuit | 04-09-2009 |
20090120180 | SOLUTION METERING APPARATUS HAVING TEMPERATURE SENSING FUNCTION - A solution metering apparatus having temperature sensing function comprises a substrate; a sensor layer consisting of a first sensing member, a second sensing member, and a temperature sensing member, where the first sensing member and the second sensing member respectively have in horizontal direction a plurality of sidewardly extended parallel strip lines that are alternately arranged, and the temperature sensing member is made of equivalent resistor material and disposed on one side surface of the substrate; and a protective layer overlying the sensor layer. The solution metering apparatus makes use of the physical characteristics of fluid as measured by the sensor layer, particularly its temperature sensing member to determine temperature change based on change in resistance value. | 05-14-2009 |
20090126477 | Air Flow Measuring Instrument - An air flow measuring instrument, comprising: an auxiliary passage | 05-21-2009 |
20100162809 | FLOW RATE SENSOR FOR WATER DUCTS AND A METHOD FOR MEASURING WATER FLOW - A water flow rate sensing device for water ducts, comprising a thermal sensor ( | 07-01-2010 |
20100223992 | Flowmeter - A flowmeter includes a flow sensor capable of measuring instantaneous flow rates of forward and backward flows of a fluid, smoothing means for smoothing the measured instantaneous flow rate, an integrating counter for integrating the smoothed flow rate and outputting an integrated flow rate, determination means for monitoring the smoothed flow rate to determine whether or not the fluid is fluctuating, an auxiliary counter for integrating, in place of the integrating counter, the smoothed flow rate while the fluid is judged to be fluctuating by the determination means and when fluctuation of the fluid is detected, and control means for adding an integrated flow rate held by the auxiliary counter to that held by the integrating counter when it is judged by the determination means that the fluid has begun to flow regularly, and causing the integrating counter to restart integrating the smoothed flow rate. | 09-09-2010 |
20100275684 | FLUID FLOW MONITORING - To provide an indication of whether airflow is separated, as opposed to other states of flow, over a surface, two or more adjacent sensors at a location on the surface each produce an analogue signal representative of airflow. The analogue signals are correlated with each other, and the degree of correlation indicates whether the airflow is in a separated state. The correlation may be carried out by comparing processed values of the analogue signals, and thresholding the comparison result. | 11-04-2010 |
20100275685 | Thermal Air Flowmeter - An object of the invention is to provide a thermal air flowmeter which can reduce a detection error occurring during pulsating air flow due to a difference of response between rising and falling of detected flow or due to air flow dependence of response. A thermal air flowmeter | 11-04-2010 |
20110041597 | Manufacturing method for a sensor of a thermal flow measuring device - A method for the manufacture of a sensor for a thermal flow measuring device, wherein the sensor has at least one housing with a first open end and a second open end. The first open end is securable in a sensor holder; and at least one resistance thermometer is inserted into the housing through the second open end of the housing and the second open end of the housing is closed. Cables for electrical contacting of the resistance thermometer lead out of the housing through the first open end of the housing. | 02-24-2011 |
20110259097 | DEVICE FOR DETECTING A PROPERTY OF A FLOWING FLUID MEDIUM - A device for detecting at least one property of a flowing fluid medium is proposed, in particular for detecting an air mass flow of an intake air mass. The device includes at least one sensor housing which may be at least partially introduced into the flowing fluid medium. At least one sensor element for detecting the property is accommodated within the sensor housing. At least one temperature sensor, which has at least one electric contact, in particular at least one contact wire, is furthermore accommodated in the sensor housing. At least one contact pad is furthermore accommodated in the sensor housing, the electric contact being electrically conductively connected to the contact pad at least one connecting point. The connecting point is protected against the fluid medium by at least one electrically insulating potting compound. | 10-27-2011 |
20120036925 | Digital Flow Meter with Enhanced Turndown Ratio - A digital fluid flow meter for measuring fluid flow past a surface on one side of a wall including first and second reduced thickness areas in the wall spaced from one another, a first detector having a first temperature sensitive element thermally coupled to the first reduced thickness area to provide thermal transfer between fluid in contact with the surface and the first detector, a second detector comprising a second temperature sensitive clement thermally coupled to the second reduced thickness area of said wall to provide thermal transfer between fluid in contact with the surface and the second detector. The digital fluid flow meter includes means for sensing the temperature of the first and second temperature sensitive elements, first and second heating elements for heating the respective temperature sensitive elements proximate to the first and second detectors, respectively. The meter includes means for providing input power and control signals to the first and second heating elements and means for transmitting output signals from the temperature sensing means. The wall may be a tube having reduced diameter sections for improving the turndown ratio, total turndown and sensitivity of the digital fluid flow meter. | 02-16-2012 |
20120085163 | FLOW QUANTITY MEASURING APPARATUS - A first conductive line, through which a midpoint electric potential of a first series circuit of a bridge circuit is outputted, is branched from a first midpoint connection on a sensor chip. A second conductive line, through which a midpoint electric potential of a second series circuit of the bridge circuit is outputted, is branched from a second midpoint connection on the sensor chip. The output point of the midpoint electric potential of the first series circuit is provided at a midpoint between two temperature sensor resistors, and the first midpoint connection is provided on a center line of a heater resistor. The output point of the midpoint electric potential of the second series circuit is provided at a midpoint between two temperature sensor resistors, and the second midpoint connection is provided on the center line of the heater resistor. | 04-12-2012 |
20120103084 | AIR FLOW MEASURING DEVICE - An air flow measuring device includes a passage forming housing, a sensor housing, and a sensor part. An inner wall surface of the passage forming housing defines a measured passage. The passage forming housing includes a sensor attaching part. Measured air flows through the measured passage. The sensor housing is attached to the sensor attaching part. The sensor part is disposed on the sensor housing and measures a flow rate of the measured air flowing through the passage. The passage forming housing includes a guiding device for guiding the measured air, which flows along the inner wall surface of the passage forming housing on an upstream side of the sensor attaching part in a measured air flow direction, further toward a center of the passage than the inner wall surface of the passage forming housing on a downstream side of the sensor attaching part in the flow direction. | 05-03-2012 |
20120103085 | THERMAL FLOW SENSOR INTEGRATED CIRCUIT WITH LOW RESPONSE TIME AND HIGH SENSITIVITY - A thermal flow sensor integrated circuit for sensing flow in a channel based on temperature measurements, the integrated circuit having a temperature sensing element ( | 05-03-2012 |
20120240674 | THERMAL FLUID FLOW SENSOR AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME - In a thermal sensor with a detection part and a circuit part formed on the same substrate, an insulating film for protection of the circuit part causes problems of lowering in sensitivity of a heater, deterioration in accuracy due to variation of a residual stress in the detection part, etc. A layered film including insulating films is formed on a heating resistor, an intermediate layer is formed thereon, and a layered film including insulating films is formed further thereon. The intermediate layer is specified to be a layer made up of any one of aluminum nitride, aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, titanium nitride, tungsten nitride, and titanium tungsten. This configuration enables the layered film on the upper part of the detection part to be removed using the intermediate layer as an etch stop layer, which solves problems of lowering in sensitivity, a variation in residual stress, etc. resulting from these. | 09-27-2012 |
20120247202 | THERMAL TYPE AIR FLOW METER - A thermal type air flow meter, which detects a flow rate of air flowing in an air passage, includes a sensor portion having a heating element in an air passage, a temperature control unit. The temperature control unit includes a first arm serially connecting a first resistive element and a heater temperature detection resistor which detects a temperature of the heating element, a second arm serially connecting a second resistive element and an air temperature detection resistor which detects a temperature of air flowing in the air passage, and a voltage supply unit which supplies first and second voltages respectively to the first and second arms. The voltage supply unit includes a voltage adjusting portion which can adjust at least one of the first and second voltages such that the detection temperature difference between the heater temperature detection resistor and the air temperature detection resistor becomes constant. | 10-04-2012 |
20120279294 | THERMAL TYPE FLOW SENSOR - A thermal type flow sensor measures a flow rate of a fluid by means of a heat resistive element having a temperature dependency. The sensor is comprised of: plural heat resistive elements used for a flow rate measurement; and a driver circuit for controlling a current applied to these heat resistive elements to cause their heating. The driver circuit is configured to sense a resistance change of a lower-temperature side heat resistive element among the plural heat resistive elements and to control the current to be applied to the plural heat resistive elements in accordance with a sensed value of the lower-resistance's variation. | 11-08-2012 |
20130068013 | SENSOR ELEMENT WITH ENGINEERED SILICIDE - A sensing element having an integrally formed metal-silicide layer with a silicon layer is described. In some instances, the thickness of the metal-silicide layer can be controlled during fabrication such that the sensing element has a desired resistivity and/or a near linear thermal coefficient of resistance (TCR). | 03-21-2013 |
20130068014 | THERMAL FLOW SENSOR FOR VEHICLES - A thermal flow sensor for vehicles includes a bridge circuit unit having a heating resistor whose resistance value changes according to temperature, a resistance thermometer, detecting a temperature of a fluid, whose resistance value changes according to temperature, and an integrated circuit unit controlling the bridge circuit unit and outputting a signal of detected fluid flow rate. A drive power source for the bridge circuit unit is supplied from a battery, and a drive power source for the integrated circuit unit is supplied from a constant voltage source stabilized by a fuel injection control device. | 03-21-2013 |
20130145840 | THERMAL FLOWMETER - Measuring flow rate of gas based on amount of heat transfer from gas to temperature-sensing resistors, comprises: substrate having hollow space formed therethrough; an insulating film deposited on the substrate so as to cover the hollow space; a heat-generating resistor formed on the insulating film; temperature-sensing resistors arranged adjacent to the heat-generating resistor; electrodes arranged at an edge of the semiconductor substrate so electrodes are parallel to the edge; and wiring connecting the electrodes and heat-generating resistors. Thermal resistance of a first area is made almost equal to thermal resistance of a second area, first area is defined by the side of the heat-generating resistor closer to the electrodes and by the side of the hollow space closer to the electrodes, and the second area is defined by the opposite side of the heat-generating resistor and by the opposite side of the hollow space. | 06-13-2013 |
20130283904 | Method for operating a thermal, flow measuring device - A thermal, flow measuring device and method for measuring the flow of a measured medium. During a heating phase of predetermined length a constant heating current of a first electrical current source flows through a first resistor. During a first measuring phase of predetermined length a constant measurement current of a second electrical current source flows through the first resistor. During the first measuring phase a first voltage falls across the first resistor, wherein during a second measuring phase of predetermined length during the first measuring cycle the constant measurement current of the second electrical current source flows through a second resistor. During the second measuring phase a second voltage falls across the second resistor, wherein during the heating phase the constant heating current of the first electrical current source flows through a shunt resistor, wherein during the heating phase a fifth voltage falls across the shunt resistor, wherein at least the first voltage, the second voltage and the fifth voltage are utilized for calculating the flow and wherein during the first measuring phase the constant heating current of the first electrical current source flows through a bypass resistor. | 10-31-2013 |
20140190252 | MEMS MASS FLOW SENSOR ASSEMBLY AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME - A silicon mass flow sensor manufacture process that enables the backside contacts and eliminates the conventional front side wire binding process, and the assembly of such a mass flow sensor is disclosed in the present invention. The achieved assembly enhances the reliability by eliminating the binding wire exposure to the flow medium that may lead to detrimental failure due to the wire shortage or breakage while the miniature footprint could be maintained. The assembly further reduces flow instability from the flow sensor package including the bump of wire sealing. The invented mass flow sensor assembly can be a flow sensor module if the supporting sensor carrier is pre-designed with the control electronics. Without the control electronics, the said mass flow sensor assembly is easy to install into desired flow channels and connect to the external control electronics. | 07-10-2014 |
20140251004 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR FLOW MEASUREMENT - A method for determining flow in a medium, comprising applying thermal energy to at least one probe of a pair of probes, the probes configured for placement in the medium and varying the applied thermal energy of the at least one probe to maintain a constant temperature differential between the pair of probes and determining a flow from the applied thermal energy while maintaining the constant temperature differential. | 09-11-2014 |
20140260599 | THERMAL DISPERSION FLOW RATE SENSING TRANSDUCER - A thermal dispersion flow rate sensing transducer for improved functional life of the transducer without degradation in sensing accuracy. | 09-18-2014 |
20140331761 | AIR FLOW MEASURING DEVICE - An air flow measuring device includes a sensor assembly, a thermistor, and an end terminal. The sensor assembly includes a sensor portion and a sensor circuit. The sensor portion and the sensor circuit are integrated with each other and configured to measure an air flow quantity. The thermistor is equipped independently from the sensor assembly. The thermistor is configured to measure an air temperature. The end terminal is electrically connected with the sensor assembly and the thermistor. An external connection terminal in the sensor assembly is electrically connected with the sensor portion and the sensor circuit to function as the end terminal. | 11-13-2014 |
20150059467 | OSCILLATOR CIRCUIT - An oscillator circuit includes a resistor configured to control an oscillating frequency. The resistor includes a positive temperature coefficient resistor and a negative temperature coefficient resistor. The positive temperature coefficient resistor has a resistance, which increases in response to increase in temperature. The negative temperature coefficient resistor has a resistance, which decreases in response to increase in temperature. | 03-05-2015 |
20150082879 | FLUID FLOW SENSOR WITH REVERSE-INSTALLATION DETECTION - A thermo-anemometer-type fluid flow sensor and a method associated with quickly determining whether the sensor has been installed in an improper orientation relative to the direction of fluid flowing through a system. The flow sensor comprises a detection module adapted to change condition in response to the direction of fluid flowing through the system. A control module is connected to the probe and is capable of determining the installation orientation of a probe of the sensor. An I/O module is connected to the control module to provide a means for communicating the output of the control module to another device and/or user. | 03-26-2015 |
20150107352 | Model Building for Pressure Diagnostics Simulation - A scale model pressure building for teaching pressure diagnostics and weatherization strategies for residential and commercial building structures. The model building is designed for ease of fabrication and ease of assembly. The design allows the instructor to simulate numerous construction errors, airflow problems, air sealing strategies, and testing procedures while in a classroom setting. | 04-23-2015 |
20160025539 | Thermal Type Air Flow Sensor - In order to provide a thermal flow sensor having high measurement accuracy, the thermal type air flow sensor includes a flow detecting unit, a sub passage on which the flow detecting unit is disposed, and an LSI to which a signal obtained by the flow detecting unit is input and which outputs a signal to the outside. A side wall of the sub passage is disposed between the flow detecting unit and the LSI, or on the LSI. A diffusion resistor provided inside the LSI has its longitudinal direction in parallel with a <100> orientation of single-crystal Si. | 01-28-2016 |
20160138952 | DEVICE FOR DETERMINING TEMPERATURE AS WELL AS MEASURING ARRANGEMENT FOR DETERMINING FLOW | 05-19-2016 |
20160178421 | Thermal Mass Flowmeter | 06-23-2016 |
20160187174 | DUAL SENSOR HEAD CONFIGURATION IN A FLUID FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL SWITCH - A fluid flow or liquid level switch providing a high level of reliability. Dual reference sensors in a single thermowell operates with two active, independent sensors, which operate with independent electronics having dual signal outputs, to provide constant and continuous redundancy in operation. | 06-30-2016 |
20160252378 | Mass Air Flow Measurement Device | 09-01-2016 |
20170234710 | Thermal Air Flow- Rate Sensor | 08-17-2017 |
20180023987 | MICROFLUIDIC FLOW SENSOR | 01-25-2018 |