Back to results
US 11,768,218 B2Granted
Gel and polymer based flow meters
AssigneeCalifornia Institute of Technology
InventorsLuca Bonanomi, Vincenzo Costanza, Chiara Daraio, Giovanni Moscato
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sensor includes a heater, a thermal insulator between two thermometer layers, the heater generating a thermal gradient within the thermal insulator. The thermometers give an indirect measurement of fluid flow around the sensor, based on their temperature readings. The thermometers are flexible layers including gels.
Claims23
A device comprising:
- at least one heater layer;
- at least one first thermometer layer in contact with the at least one heater layer;
- at least one second thermometer layer;
- and
- at least one thermal insulator layer between the at least one first thermometer layer and the at least one second thermometer layer,
- wherein:
- the at least one first thermometer layer and the at least one second thermometer layer comprise temperature sensitive materials,
- the at least one first thermometer layer is thermally insulated from an environment surrounding the device,
- a top surface of at least one second thermometer layer is configured to measure a temperature of the environment, and
- the at least one heater layer is configured to generate a constant heat flux through the at least one first thermometer layer, the at least one thermal insulator layer, and the at least one second thermometer layer, thus generating a thermal gradient within the at least one thermal insulator;
- and
- wherein the device is configured to measure a temperature gradient using the at least one first thermometer layer and the at least one second thermometer layer allowing for a computation of a heat-transfer coefficient.
9 more elements
A device comprising:
- at least one heater layer;
- at least one first thermometer layer;
- at least one second thermometer layer;
- and
- at least one thermal insulator layer between the at least one first thermometer layer and the at least one second thermometer layer,
- wherein:
- the first thermometer layer is between the second thermometer layer and the heater layer;
- the at least one first thermometer layer and the at least one second thermometer layer comprise temperature sensitive materials,
- the at least one first thermometer layer is thermally insulated from an environment surrounding the device,
- a top surface of at least one second thermometer layer is configured to measure a temperature of the environment, and
- the at least one heater layer is configured to generate a constant heat flux through the at least one first thermometer layer, the at least one thermal insulator layer, and the at least one second thermometer layer, thus generating a thermal gradient within the at least one thermal insulator;
- and
- wherein the device is configured to measure a temperature gradient using the at least one first thermometer layer and the at least one second thermometer layer allowing for a computation of a heat-transfer coefficient.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.