Omnidirectional flow sensor
AssigneeThe Trustees of Princeton University
InventorsNathaniel Simon, Alexander Piqué, David Snyder, Kyle Ikuma, Anirudha Majumdar, Marcus Hultmark
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Abstract
Disclosed is a fast-response sensor system to measure a fluid vector in a plurality of dimensions. This system, known as ‘MAST’ (for MEMS Anemometry Sensing Tower), utilizes microelectromechanical (MEMS) hot-wire devices to produce a solid-state, lightweight, and robust flow sensor system suitable for, e.g., real-time wind estimation onboard a UAV. The MAST uses three through eighteen polygonally-arranged microscale flow sensors to determine the fluid's vector's direction and magnitude.
Claims24
An omnidirectional flow sensor, comprising:
- a plurality of microelectromechanical system (MEMS) flow sensors, each MEMS flow sensor comprising:
- a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, and a window extending through a portion of the first surface to the second surface;
- and
- at least one wire array disposed on the first surface, each wire array comprising an odd number of wires aligned in parallel directions and connected in series, one wire array of the at least one wire array disposed at least partially over the window;
- a chassis substrate, upon which an additional MEMS flow sensor is placed;
- a plurality of support substrates;
- wherein each MEMS flow sensor of the plurality of MEMS flow sensors is coupled to a respective support substrate of the plurality of support substrates at a fixed distance from the chassis substrate;
- and
- wherein each MEMS flow sensor faces a different direction.
A system, comprising:
- at least one processor;
- and
- an omnidirectional flow sensor operably coupled to the at least one processor, the omnidirectional flow sensor comprising:
- a plurality of microelectromechanical system (MEMS) flow sensors, each MEMS flow sensor comprising:
- a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, and a window extending through a portion of the first surface to the second surface;
- and
- at least one wire array disposed on the first surface, each wire array comprising an odd number of wires aligned in parallel directions and connected in series, one wire array of the at least one wire array disposed at least partially over the window;
- a chassis substrate, upon which an additional MEMS flow sensor is placed;
- and
- a plurality of support substrates;
- wherein each MEMS flow sensor of the plurality of MEMS flow sensors is coupled to a respective support substrate of the plurality of supports substrates at a fixed distance from the chassis substrate;
- and
- wherein each MEMS flow sensor faces a different direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.