Methods, apparatus, and systems for flow measurements by alternating magnetic fields are provided. An example alternating magnetic field flowmeter includes a magnetic token movable within a conduit for guiding a fluid flow (conductive or non-conductive) along a flow path, a magnetic field generator configured to generate alternating magnetic fields within the conduit to move the magnetic token along the flow path with a first flow velocity and opposite to the flow path with a second flow velocity, a detector configured to measure respective first and second electrical signals responsive to the alternating magnetic fields, the first and second electrical signals associated with the first and second flow velocities, and a processor configured to determine a flow rate of the fluid based on the first and second electrical signals. The alternating magnetic field flowmeter can include a calibrator configured to manually or automatically calibrate the flow rate with a correction factor.

Various embodiments provide a device for measuring the flow of fluid inside a tube moved by a peristaltic pump is provided with: a detection electrode arrangement coupled to the tube to detect an electrostatic charge variation originated by the mechanical action of the peristaltic pump on the tube; a signal processing stage, electrically coupled to the detection electrode arrangement to generate an electrical charge variation signal; and a processing unit, coupled to the signal processing stage to receive and process in the frequency domain the electrical charge variation signal to obtain information on the flow of a fluid that flows through the tube based on the analysis of frequency characteristics of the electrical charge variation signal.

A control system and data acquisition system for an electrical capacitance tomography sensor comprised of a sensor having a plurality of electrodes, where each electrode is further comprised of a plurality of capacitance segments. Each of the capacitance segments of each electrode can be individually addressed to focus the electric field intensity or sensitivity to desired regions of the electrodes and the sensor.

A sensor system comprises a permselective medium positionable to contact the fluid in the microchannel, an arrangement of electrodes arranged to generate an electric field across the permselective medium, an ion concentration sensing system having a sensing element configured to provide sensing signals indicative of a local ion concentration pattern, and a signal processor for analyzing a sensing signal received from the ion concentration sensing system to determine at least one flow parameter characterizing the flow.

Methods, apparatus, and systems for flow measurements by alternating magnetic fields are provided. An example alternating magnetic field flowmeter includes a magnetic token movable within a conduit for guiding a fluid flow (conductive or non-conductive) along a flow path, a magnetic field generator configured to generate alternating magnetic fields within the conduit to move the magnetic token along the flow path with a first flow velocity and opposite to the flow path with a second flow velocity, a detector configured to measure respective first and second electrical signals responsive to the alternating magnetic fields, the first and second electrical signals associated with the first and second flow velocities, and a processor configured to determine a flow rate of the fluid based on the first and second electrical signals. The alternating magnetic field flowmeter can include a calibrator configured to manually or automatically calibrate the flow rate with a correction factor.

Method, apparatus, and computer program product for a microfluidic channel having a cover opposite its bottom, such that the cover allows visual inspection inside the channel, and having electrodes with patterned planar conducting materials, integrated onto its bottom. Using the planar conducting materials, once a fluid sample with suspended microparticles is applied into the channel, highly localized modulated electric field distributions are generated inside the channel and the fluid sample. This generated field causes the inducing of dielectrophoretic (DEP) forces in such a way that the DEP forces gradually increase along the length of the channel occupied by the electrodes. These DEP forces counteract the hydrodynamic drag of the flow acting on the particles suspended in the fluid. Because of the induced forces, micro/nano-particles in the fluid sample are deflected at locations in the microchannel that are a function of the particles velocity and this effect is captured by an image sensing device through the micro fluidic channel cover and stored in a computer memory device such that the location information is used to compute particle and flow speed. Microfluidic chips with microfluidic channels can be made using standard semiconductor manufacturing technology.

A fluid conductivity sensor (FCS) system for determining a water void fraction in a fluid mixture flows comprises a duct containing the fluid mixture flows; a dielectric window system operatively connected to the duct, wherein the dielectric window system comprises a first dielectric window built-into a first surface of a wall of the duct and a second dielectric window built-into a second surface of the wall aligned and opposite to the first surface; a split-toroidal loop-gap resonator (split-TLGR) system operatively connected to the dielectric window system and the duct, wherein the split-TLGR system comprises a first split-TLGR built-into the first dielectric window and a second split-TLGR built-into the second dielectric window; and a vector network analyzer (VNA) operatively connected to the split-TLGR system and configured to measure the fluid conductivity, wherein the water void fraction is derived from the fluid conductivity.

A microfluidic electrochemical device has a microfluidic channel and an electrochemical cell having a pair of working electrodes separated by an inter-electrode distance in a flow direction of the fluid in the microfluidic channel, a counter-electrode and a reference electrode. The microfluidic electrochemical device has an electrochemical amperometry measurement system configured to bias the pair of working electrodes so that each electrode produces an amperometric signal by oxidation reaction or by reduction reaction with the electroreactive fluid or with a chemical species associated with a redox couple intended for the fluid. The microfluidic electrochemical device determines the volume flow rate of the fluid in the microfluidic channel, notably based on the inter-electrode distance and a time delay between the amperometric signals produced by the pair of working electrodes.

The present invention provides an electrochemical apparatus for monitoring flow rate including a membrane having a space that is formed in a middle portion of the membrane and has a preset volume to contain an ionic fluid, a first electrode and a second electrode provided on both sides of the membrane, and a control unit configured to apply a voltage to the first electrode and the second electrode to change a state of the space to a concentration polarization state, wherein the membrane includes a fluid flow passage through which a fluid flows into and out of the space, and the control unit calculates a flow rate based on an ionic current generated by the fluid injected through the fluid flow passage in the concentration polarization state.

A fluid conductivity sensor (FCS) system for determining a water void fraction in a fluid mixture flows comprises a duct containing the fluid mixture flows; a dielectric window system operatively connected to the duct, wherein the dielectric window system comprises a first dielectric window built-into a first surface of a wall of the duct and a second dielectric window built-into a second surface of the wall aligned and opposite to the first surface; a split-toroidal loop-gap resonator (split-TLGR) system operatively connected to the dielectric window system and the duct, wherein the split-TLGR system comprises a first split-TLGR built-into the first dielectric window and a second split-TLGR built-into the second dielectric window; and a vector network analyzer (VNA) operatively connected to the split-TLGR system and configured to measure the fluid conductivity, wherein the water void fraction is derived from the fluid conductivity.