Nicotine electronic vaping device

A nicotine e-vaping device comprising:

• an outer housing;
• an inner tube coaxially positioned within the outer housing;
• a nicotine reservoir configured to hold a nicotine pre-vapor formulation, the nicotine reservoir positioned between the inner tube and the outer housing;
• a wick configured to draw nicotine pre-vapor formulation from the nicotine reservoir;
• a heating element configured to heat the nicotine pre-vapor formulation drawn from the nicotine reservoir;
• a saturation sensor assembly configured to measure at least one electrical characteristic between the outer housing and the inner tube at a first time and a second time, the second time being subsequent to the first time;
• and
• control circuitry configured to cause the nicotine e-vaping device to
• calculate a refill rate at which the nicotine pre-vapor formulation flows onto the wick based on the at least one electrical characteristic at the first time and the at least one electrical characteristic at the second time,
• determine that the refill rate is less than a threshold refill rate, and
• output a low nicotine pre-vapor formulation alert in response to determining that the refill rate is less than the threshold refill rate.

A method for detecting depletion of nicotine pre-vapor formulation in a nicotine reservoir of a nicotine e-vaping device, the method comprising:

• measuring at least one electrical characteristic of a wick between a heating element and a probe wire at a first time, the at least one electrical characteristic including a resistance, a capacitance, or both a resistance and a capacitance,
• measuring the at least one electrical characteristic of the wick between the heating element and the probe wire at a second time, the second time being subsequent to the first time;
• calculating a refill rate at which nicotine pre-vapor formulation flows onto the wick based on the at least one electrical characteristic at the first time and the at least one electrical characteristic at the second time;
• determining that the refill rate is less than a threshold refill rate;
• and
• outputting a low nicotine pre-vapor formulation alert in response to determining that the refill rate is less than the threshold refill rate.