An aerosol-generating article may comprise a liquid storage portion containing a liquid aerosol-forming substrate, and a hydrochromic material provided on the liquid storage portion. The hydrochromic material has a first colour when in the presence of or when in contact with the liquid aerosol-forming substrate and a second colour when in the absence of or when not in contact with the liquid aerosol-forming substrate. An aerosol-generating system may comprise the aerosol-generating article, an aerosol-generating element, and an aerosol-generating device. An aerosol-generating device may comprise an electrical power supply, an electronic photosensor, and a controller configured to control a supply of electrical power from the electrical power supply based on a value of an optical property sensed with the electronic photosensor.

An aerosol-generating system including a cartridge is provided, the cartridge including a liquid storage portion including a housing configured to hold a liquid aerosol-forming substrate, the housing having an opening; and a heater assembly including at least one heater element fixed to the housing and extending across an opening of the housing, wherein a width of the at least one heater element of the heater assembly is smaller than a width of the opening of the housing. The heater element may be spaced from a periphery of the opening, leading to more efficient heating and aerosol production.

A heating element includes a body, a heating wire, and two pins. The body is a concave member including a through hole. The two pins are disposed on two ends of the heating wire, respectively.

An aerosol-generating device is disclosed. The aerosol-generating device of the present disclosure includes a cartridge, which includes a chamber configure to store a liquid, a wick for receiving the liquid from the chamber, and a heater for heating the wick, a case, to which the cartridge is detachably coupled and which has an insertion space formed to accommodate insertion of a stick therein, a first circuit including the heater, and a second circuit for sensing the temperature of the heater. The second circuit includes a first resistor, which is disposed to be in contact with or adjacent to the heater to receive heat from the heater, wherein a resistance value of the first resistor is variable based on changes in the temperature thereof, a second resistor connected to the first resistor, and a sensor for acquiring the value of current applied to the second resistor.

A method for operating a heater system including a resistive heating element having a material with a non-monotonic resistivity vs. temperature profile is provided. The method includes heating the resistive heating element to within a limited temperature range in which the resistive heating element exhibits a negative dR/dT characteristic, operating the resistive heating element within an operating temperature range that at least partially overlaps the limited temperature range, and determining a temperature of the resistive heating element such that the resistive heating element functions as both a heater and a temperature sensor. The resistive heating element can function as a temperature sensor in a temperature range between about 500° C. and about 800° C., and the non-monotonic resistivity vs. temperature profile for the material of the resistive heating element can have a local maximum and a local minimum.

A trench heater includes a case, a connecting unit, and a sub-assembly unit. The sub-assembly unit includes a baffle, a first junction panel, a second junction panel, and an electrical heating unit. The electrical heating unit includes a heating unit that comprises a heating element, a body, and a granular heat transfer medium. Multiple trench heaters may be connected end to end to create longer lengths via a modular platform.

A vaporizer device for an inhaler comprises at least one electric vaporizer for vaporizing liquid fed to the vaporizer, wherein the liquid is transported by capillary forces from an inlet side through at least one liquid channel to an outlet side, where vaporized liquid can be added to an air stream, a carrier retaining the vaporizer, and at least one electrical line electrically contacting the vaporizer. The electrical line comprises a planar contact area, and the vaporizer and the planar contact area of the electrical line are materially and electrically conductively bonded to each other.

An exhaust gas heater for an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine includes a carrier arrangement and a heating conductor arrangement supported on the carrier arrangement. The heating conductor arrangement has at least one heating conductor wherethrough current flows. The at least one heating conductor is supported with respect to the carrier arrangement by at least one connecting element. At least one length compensation arrangement has a first length compensation element, which has a first supporting surface providing a wedge formation, and has a second length compensation element, which has a second supporting surface supported on the first supporting surface and provides a counter-wedge formation. The length compensation arrangement is provided in association with the at least one connecting element. The first length compensation element and the second length compensation element have materially different coefficients of thermal expansion.

A flavored vapor generator (100, 200, 300, 400) used for an electronic smoking apparatus (10) comprises a housing; a liquid retention material (155, 255) which is filled, soaked or immersed with a flavored liquid and received inside the housing; an electric heater (150, 350, 450) for heating the liquid retention material (155, 255) to generate flavored vapor; and a sensor (156, 356, 456) for monitoring soaking or wetness conditions of the liquid retention material (155, 255) and providing signals for determining whether the flavored liquid in the liquid retention material (155, 255) is exhausted or almost exhausted.

A cartridge for an aerosol-generating system includes a liquid storage portion configured to store a liquid aerosol-forming substrate. The liquid storage portion includes one or more flexible walls and is configured to change at least one of the shape and the size of the liquid storage portion upon a change of the volume of the liquid aerosol-forming substrate held in the liquid storage portion. The cartridge includes a sensor configured to detect data of a physical property. The data relates to at least one of a corresponding shape and a corresponding size of the liquid storage portion so that the volume of the liquid aerosol-forming substrate held in the liquid storage portion is determinable from the measured data.