A method for operating a thermal flow sensor includes: bringing a measuring medium into thermal contact with a sensor element of the flow sensor and periodically heating the medium using an AC voltage introduced into the sensor element; simultaneously detecting a maximum amplitude of a temperature and/or a phase shift between a curve of the AC voltage and the curve of the temperature; adjusting the detected maximum amplitude and/or the detected phase shift using calibration data; determining an isoline using the adjusted maximum amplitude and/or the adjusted phase shift based on model of the flow sensor, wherein the isoline has a plurality of value pairs of thermal conductivity and thermal capacitance of the medium; deriving a medium information from the isoline; and performing a flow measurement by converting signal values from the sensor element into measurement values of an effective flow velocity of the medium using the medium information.

Disclosed is an apparatus for determining a flow of a medium through a pipe, as well as a method for operating the apparatus. The apparatus comprises a heating element at least partially in thermal contact with the medium and which is heatable by means of a heating signal, and a first temperature sensor for registering a temperature of at least one component of the apparatus or the temperature of the medium. The heating element and the first temperature sensor are arranged outside of the pipe. The apparatus includes at least one coupling element, which is at least partially in thermal contact with the heating element, the first temperature sensor and/or a portion of the pipe or tube and serves to assure a thermal coupling between the heating element and the first temperature sensor and between the heating element and the medium.

Provided is a vehicle-mounted system capable of transmitting a command to a first system from a second system during a period in which the first system communicates with the second system according to a unidirectional communication protocol. A vehicle-mounted system 100 includes a sensor 10 (first system) and an ECU (second system). The sensor 10 outputs a message signal including a pause pulse to the communication line DATA according to SENT (a unidirectional communication protocol). The ECU 20 is connected to the communication line DATA, and transmits a command to the sensor 10 using the falling period of the pause pulse.

An electronic utility gas meter using MEMS thermal time-of-flight flow sensor to meter gas custody transfer mass flowrate and an additional MEMS gas sensor to measure the combustion gas composition for the correlations to the acquisition of gas high heat value simultaneously is disclosed in the present invention. The meter is designed for the applications in the city utility gas consumption in compliance with the current tariff while metering the true thermal value of the delivered gases for future upgrades. Data safety, remote data communication, and other features with state-of-the-art electronics are also included in the design.

A system for metering gas includes a flow sensor and a controller. The flow sensor is disposed in a conduit in fluid connection with a flow of a gas through the conduit. The flow sensor includes a heater and a temperature sensing element, and generates an electrical output based on the flow of the gas. The controller controls operation of the heater and is operable in a pre-measurement mode and multiple measurement modes. The controller in the pre-measurement mode operates the heater at a pre-measurement setting. The controller in the measurement modes operates the heater at corresponding measurement settings that have increased power levels and/or increased operating durations relative to the pre-measurement setting. The controller in the measurement modes is configured to determine a flow rate of the gas based on an amplitude characteristic and/or a temporal characteristic of the electrical output of the flow sensor.

The flow rate measuring apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is a flow rate measuring apparatus that intermittently measures the flow rate of a fluid, comprising a heating unit for heating the fluid; a control unit that controls a drive voltage for driving the heating unit, or the interval at which the drive voltage is applied, to the desired value; a temperature sensing unit that senses information about the temperature of the heated fluid; and a flow rate measurement unit that measures the flow rate of the fluid on the basis of the sensing signal outputted from the temperature sensing unit, wherein, in intermittently measuring the flow rate, the control unit varies the heating amount of the heating unit in each measurement by varying the interval at which the drive voltage is applied.

The present invention provides methods for determining a parameter associated with a flow of a fluid located within a fluid conduit, based on measuring the difference between electrical signals of at least two second sensing elements contacting different positions on am exterior of the fluid conduit. The sensing elements comprise an assembly of nanoparticles being in electric contact with conductive electrodes; wherein the electrical signals of the sensing elements are responsive to at least one of pressure and temperature. Further provided is a clamping device configured to reduce a cross-sectional diameter of a portion of the fluid conduit, in order to determine said parameter.

An electronic utility gas meter using MEMS thermal time-of-flight flow sensor to meter gas custody transfer mass flowrate and an additional MEMS gas sensor to measure the combustion gas composition for the correlations to the acquisition of gas high heat value simultaneously is disclosed in the present invention. The meter is designed for the applications in the city utility gas consumption in compliance with the current tariff while metering the true thermal value of the delivered gases for future upgrades. Data safety, remote data communication, and other features with state-of-the-art electronics are also included in the design.

A CMOS-based sensing device includes a substrate including an etched portion and a first region located on the substrate. The first region includes a membrane region formed over an area of the etched portion of the substrate, a flow sensor formed within the membrane region and a pressure sensor formed within the membrane region.

The flow rate measuring apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is a flow rate measuring apparatus that intermittently measures the flow rate of a fluid, comprising a heating unit for heating the fluid; a control unit that controls a drive voltage for driving the heating unit, or the interval at which the drive voltage is applied, to the desired value; a temperature sensing unit that senses information about the temperature of the heated fluid; and a flow rate measurement unit that measures the flow rate of the fluid on the basis of the sensing signal outputted from the temperature sensing unit, wherein, in intermittently measuring the flow rate, the control unit varies the heating amount of the heating unit in each measurement by varying the interval at which the drive voltage is applied.