Method and controller for controlling a fluid-flow sensor
AssigneeFlusso Limited
InventorsChris Rosser, Jon Callan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for controlling a fluid-flow sensor in the presence of a flowing fluid, the method comprising: determining an initial estimate of a parameter corresponding to a flow rate of the flowing fluid, comparing the initial estimate to a threshold parameter, and based on the comparison, determining the parameter corresponding to the flow rate of the flowing fluid based on: a signal from a temperature sensor of the fluid-flow sensor; a signal from a heater of the fluid-flow sensor; or a combination of the signal from the temperature sensor and the heater of the fluid-flow sensor. A controller for a fluid-flow sensor is also described.
Claims14
A method for controlling a fluid-flow sensor in the presence of a flowing fluid, the method comprising:
- receiving a signal from a heater of the fluid-flow sensor;
- receiving a signal from a temperature sensor of the fluid-flow sensor;
- determining an initial estimate of a parameter corresponding to a flow rate of the flowing fluid;
- comparing the initial estimate to a threshold parameter;
- and
- based on the comparison, determining the parameter corresponding to the flow rate of the flowing fluid based on:
- a combination of the signal from the temperature sensor and the signal from the heater of the fluid-flow sensor.
A controller for a fluid-flow sensor, the controller being configured, when the fluid-flow sensor is in the presence of a flowing fluid, to:
- receive a signal from a heater of the fluid-flow sensor;
- receive a signal from a temperature sensor of the fluid-flow sensor;
- determine an initial estimate of a parameter corresponding to a flow rate of the flowing fluid;
- compare the initial estimate to a threshold parameter;
- and
- based on the comparison, determine the parameter corresponding to the flow rate of the flowing fluid based on:
- a combination of the signal from the temperature sensor and the signal from the heater of the fluid-flow sensor.
A controller for controlling a fluid-flow sensor in the presence of a flowing fluid, the fluid-flow sensor comprising a heater and one or more temperature sensors, the controller being configured, in a first mode, to determine a parameter corresponding to a flow rate of the flowing fluid based on signals from the one or more temperature sensors and from the heater;
- and in a second mode, to determine the parameter based on a signal from the heater only;
- wherein the controller is further configured to:
- determine an initial estimate of the parameter;
- and
- operate in the first mode when the initial estimate is below a first threshold parameter;
- operate in the second mode when the initial estimate is above a second threshold parameter;
- and
- operate in a combination of the first and second modes when the initial estimate is between the first and second threshold parameters.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.