Patent · US Expired

Air flow sensor and detecting method

US5212983A · kind A · utility

15Cited by
6References
2Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 18, 1991
Grant dateMay 25, 1993
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 18, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01F1/698
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A pair of thermistors are mounted in a tube which diverts a minor portion of the air flowing through a duct of an HVAC system. One thermistor is heated by a feedback control system to maintain a substantially constant temperature differential between the thermistors. A signal representing the flow velocity is detected by detecting the power which is applied to the heating body to maintain the constant differential. That power represents the thermo power being carried away from the heated body. The temperature of the unheated thermistor is also detected. The signals are converted to digital form and applied to a computer for computing the flow rate in the ducts.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.