Temperature sensing system and flow metering apparatus comprised thereof

A gas meter, comprising:

• a main housing forming a chamber;
• impellers disposed in the chamber;
• a first elongate tube with a closed end, the first elongate tube coupled with the main housing and extending into the chamber proximate the impellers so as to locate the closed end in the chamber;
• a counter housing coupled at one end of the main housing;
• a host system disposed in the counter housing and configured to calculate volumetric flow;
• and
• a temperature sensing system coupled with the host system and disposed entirely in the first elongate tube, the temperature sensing system comprising a first part and a second part that couples with the first part to conduct a digitized output therebetween,
• wherein,
• the first part comprises a silicon-based integrated circuit having a diode coupled with an analog-to-digital converter that generates the digitized output as a first value for temperature of a fluid in the chamber in response to voltage across the diode,
• the second part comprises a microcontroller that receives the digitized output, the microcontroller comprising a processor and memory, the memory storing calibration data and executable instructions that the processor can upload, the executable instructions for generating a calibrated signal in response to the digitized output using the calibration data,
• wherein the silicon-based integrated circuit and the microcontroller reside in the first elongate tube in position so that both are exposed inside the chamber and proximate the impellers to ambient temperature that is the same,
• wherein the calibrated signal reflects a second value for temperature for the fluid in the chamber, which corresponds to the first value calibrated to account for calibration data that correlates ambient temperature at the first part to ambient temperature the second part,
• wherein the host system receives the calibrated signal and applies the second value for temperature for the fluid in the chamber to the volumetric flow, and
• wherein the temperature sensing system interrupts operation of the host system to control said gas meter in response to temperature in excess of a pre-determined threshold.