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Thermal flow-rate sensor

  • US 10,458,825 B2
  • Filed: 02/08/2016
  • Issued: 10/29/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2015
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A thermal flow-rate sensor, comprising:

  • a first temperature sensor that detects the temperature of a measurement medium that is flowing through a passageway inside a pipe by detecting the temperature at a specified location of an outer-wall surface of the pipe;

    a heat-transfer element that is arranged on the outer-wall surface of the pipe in a state separated from the first temperature sensor, and that exchanges heat with the measurement medium by heating or cooling the outer-wall surface of the pipe;

    a second temperature sensor that detects the temperature of a portion of the outer-wall surface of the pipe that is heated or cooled by the heat-transfer element; and

    a control unit that performs specified processing;

    whereina heat-flux sensor is arranged between the heat-transfer element and the outer-wall surface of the pipe and detects heat flux between the heat-transfer element and the pipe;

    the control unit detects a flow rate of the measurement medium based on the temperature that is detected by the first temperature sensor, the temperature that is detected by the second temperature sensor, and the heat flux that is detected by the heat-flux sensor; and

    the heat-flux sensor is configured such that a plurality of first and second via holes that penetrate in a thickness direction being formed in an insulating substrate that is composed of a thermoplastic resin, first and second interlayer-connecting members formed of metals that are different from each other are embedded in the first and second via holes, a front-surface pattern being formed on a front surface of the insulating substrate, a rear-surface pattern being formed on a rear surface of an opposite side from the front surface, and the first and second interlayer-connecting members are alternately connected in series via the front-surface pattern and the rear-surface pattern.

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