Flow laminator

Abstract

There is provided a fluid sensing apparatus (120) comprising a fluid flow channel (121) having a flow restriction (125), a first fluid port (132) at a first location (131) upstream of the flow restriction, a second fluid port (134) at a second location (133) downstream of the flow restriction, a fluid sensor (130) in fluid communication with the first fluid port and second fluid port, and a laminar flow element (150). The laminar flow element includes a flow stabilisation rod (151) which extends along the fluid flow channel at least from the first location to the second location to define a fluid sensing portion of the fluid flow channel between the outer wall (122) of the fluid flow channel and the outer surface (153) of the flow stabilisation rod. The flow restriction comprises a reduction in the hydraulic diameter of the fluid sensing portion of the fluid flow channel which is caused by a decrease in diameter of the fluid flow channel, or by an increase in the diameter of the flow stabilisation rod, or by both a decrease in diameter of the fluid flow channel and an increase in the diameter of the flow stabilisation rod. Also provided is a mass flow controller (100) including such a fluid sensing apparatus.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.