A sensor apparatus may include a channel structure configured to couple with an external element and a fluid conduit, such that the channel structure may receive a fluid, at least partially drawn through the external element from an ambient environment, and direct the fluid through the fluid conduit. A sensor may generate sensor data indicating a flow rate of the fluid through the fluid conduit based on monitoring a variation in a pressure at a location in hydrodynamic contact with the fluid conduit and in relation to an ambient pressure of the ambient environment. The sensor apparatus may enable generation of improved topography information associated with flows of fluid drawn from the external element based on measuring a local pressure at the location in hydrodynamic contact with the fluid conduit and determining the ambient pressure based on monitoring the local pressure over time.

An apparatus is provided, including: a housing; a first assessment section defining a first airflow pathway and including a first conduit including inlet and outlet ends, the inlet end to receive a mouth end of an aerosol-generating system or a smoking article, a first pump in fluid communication with the first conduit outlet end and to draw fluid through the first conduit from the inlet end to the outlet end, and a first cover arranged on the housing; and a second assessment section defining a second airflow pathway and including a second conduit including inlet and outlet ends, the inlet end to receive a mouth end of an aerosol-generating device or a smoking article, a second pump in fluid communication with the second conduit outlet end and to draw fluid through the second conduit from the inlet end to the outlet end, and a second cover arranged on the housing.

The present disclosure has provided an automatic multichannel apparatus for assessing hot coal fallout propensity of burning cigarettes and an assessing method thereof. The apparatus comprises a multichannel rotary plate unit, an automatic supplying unit for cigarette samples, an automatic ignition and burning line detection unit for cigarette samples, a cigarette holding and force applying unit, an automatic hot coal fallout detection and removal unit, a smoke collecting unit during suction, a suction unit, a gas exhaust unit arranged in a main frame, and an electric circuit and air path control unit for controlling actions and processes of the above units. The apparatus operates based on certain steps and performs automatic ignition and burning line detection on cigarette samples inserted into a rotary plate in sequence. A controllable external force is applied to the cigarettes during burning and suction, and hot coal fallout propensity of this kind of cigarette is detected by hot coal fallout occurrence of multiple cigarettes. The apparatus according to the present disclosure can improve test repeatability and working efficiency.

An apparatus is provided, including: a housing; a first assessment section defining a first airflow pathway and including a first conduit including inlet and outlet ends, the inlet end to receive a mouth end of an aerosol-generating system or a smoking article, a first pump in fluid communication with the first conduit outlet end and to draw fluid through the first conduit from the inlet end to the outlet end, and a first cover arranged on the housing; and a second assessment section defining a second airflow pathway and including a second conduit including inlet and outlet ends, the inlet end to receive a mouth end of an aerosol-generating device or a smoking article, a second pump in fluid communication with the second conduit outlet end and to draw fluid through the second conduit from the inlet end to the outlet end, and a second cover arranged on the housing.

A sensory evaluation method for spectral data of mainstream smoke includes: performing a data enhancement on spectral data of mainstream smoke of a plurality of cigarettes; extracting a shallow spectral characteristic from the spectral data of the mainstream smoke of each cigarette; obtaining a shallow sensory quality result of the spectral data of the mainstream smoke of each cigarette based on the spectral data of the mainstream smoke of each cigarette and the shallow spectral characteristic; extracting deep spatial characteristics from the spectral data of the mainstream smoke of each cigarette; obtaining a deep sensory quality result based on the spectral data of the mainstream smoke of each cigarette and the deep spatial characteristics; obtaining a comprehensive sensory quality result according to the shallow sensory quality result and the deep sensory quality result. The sensory evaluation method achieves accurate screening of unknowns in the mainstream smoke.

A smoking path simulation system includes a case, the robotic arm fixedly provided in the case and a cigarette holder mounted at a working end of the robotic arm, and further includes a feeding device, a cigarette tapping device and a cigarette lighting device provided in the case and located at a periphery of the robotic arm, as well as an image acquisition device mounted at the working end of the robotic arm. With the smoking path simulation system, an action path of smoking a cigarette by a consumer may be simulated, and consistency of the simulated action paths may be guaranteed, thus effectively improving precision of test of indexes of a cigarette-combustion performance, such as cigarette-combustion ash integration characteristics, or the like.

A robotic arm includes a base, a first robotic arm, a second robotic arm, a robotic hand and a cigarette holder connected in sequence. The cigarette holder includes a cigarette insertion hole and a cigarette smoking tube. The cigarette smoking tube is connected to a smoking simulator. The robotic arm further includes at least one air exhausting hole. The air exhausting hole is located around the cigarette holder and communicated with an air exhauster through an air exhausting pipe. The robotic arm swings to control the cigarette holder to carry a cigarette from a smoking position to an ash flicking position. Airflow is formed near the air exhausting hole by means of air exhaustion, so as to simulate influences of a wind speed in an outdoor environment on the columnar ash in the cigarette smoking process of the human body.

A sensor apparatus may include a conduit structure including an inner surface defining a conduit extending through an interior of the conduit structure, an inlet structure coupled to an end of the conduit structure, and a plurality of sensor devices in hydrodynamic contact with the conduit. The inlet structure may couple with an outlet end of an external tobacco element to hold the outlet end of the external tobacco element in fluid communication with an inlet opening of the conduit structure, such that the conduit structure may receive a generated aerosol from the external tobacco element at the inlet opening, and draw an instance of aerosol through the conduit towards an outlet opening. The instance of aerosol may include at least a portion of the generated aerosol. Each sensor device may generate sensor data indicating a pressure of the instance of aerosol through a separate portion of the conduit.

A sensor apparatus may include a channel structure configured to couple with an external element and a fluid conduit, such that the channel structure may receive a fluid, at least partially drawn through the external element from an ambient environment, and direct the fluid through the fluid conduit. A sensor may generate sensor data indicating a flow rate of the fluid through the fluid conduit based on monitoring a variation in a pressure at a location in hydrodynamic contact with the fluid conduit and in relation to an ambient pressure of the ambient environment. The sensor apparatus may enable generation of improved topography information associated with flows of fluid drawn from the external element based on measuring a local pressure at the location in hydrodynamic contact with the fluid conduit and determining the ambient pressure based on monitoring the local pressure over time.

A sensor apparatus may include a conduit structure including an inner surface defining a conduit extending through an interior of the conduit structure, an inlet structure coupled to an end of the conduit structure, and a plurality of sensor devices in hydrodynamic contact with the conduit. The inlet structure may couple with an outlet end of an external tobacco element to hold the outlet end of the external tobacco element in fluid communication with an inlet opening of the conduit structure, such that the conduit structure may receive a generated aerosol from the external tobacco element at the inlet opening, and draw an instance of aerosol through the conduit towards an outlet opening. The instance of aerosol may include at least a portion of the generated aerosol. Each sensor device may generate sensor data indicating a pressure of the instance of aerosol through a separate portion of the conduit.