SYNTHETIC JET DELIVERING CONTROLLED FLOW TO SENSOR SYSTEM

• US 20160171869A1
• Filed: 12/11/2014
• Published: 06/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Gullbrand, Jessica, Cowan, Melissa A., Pawashe, Chytra, Eid, Feras
• Granted Patent: US 10,282,965 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F15D 1/0095 by means of injecting jet pulses of fluid wherein the injected fluid is taken from the fluid and re-injected again, e.g. synthetic jet actuators F15D1/008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/2273 Atmospheric sampling
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/24 Suction devices G01N1/22 - G01N1/2294 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/242 Injectors or ejectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/12 responsive to undesired emission of substances, e.g. pollution alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/4735 Jet impingement H01L23/4336 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for using synthetic jet technology as an air delivery device for sensing applications. In particular, a synthetic jet device is used to deliver a controlled airflow or other fluidic flow to a sensor measurement area. Such a sensing system can be used to detect accurate concentration of target features present in the ambient surroundings, such as gases, particles, solutions, mixtures, and any other environmental features that can be sensed from a controlled airflow. An example application is air quality monitoring by using one or more synthetic jet devices to deliver a known or otherwise controlled airflow to a sensing area, thereby allowing for detection of harmful or otherwise unacceptable concentrations of particulate matter, gases, or air pollutants. In some embodiments, a synthetic jet device is operatively coupled with a sensor via a flow channel in a common housing, so as to provide a controlled flow sensing system.

Claims

1. A sensing system, comprising:

a flow channel;

a synthetic jet device comprising a vibrating membrane in a cavity with an orifice that outputs to the flow channel, the synthetic jet configured to entrain surrounding air/fluid into the flow channel to provide a jet flow; and

a sensor for receiving the jet flow from the flow channel and configured to detect a target feature included in the jet flow.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the flow channel, synthetic jet, and sensor are implemented with discrete components populated on a substrate.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the substrate populated with the channel, synthetic jet, and sensor is within a housing or package.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor includes at least one of an optical sensor, a microelectromechanical systems resonance sensor, an electromechanical sensor, a metal oxide sensor, an electrochemical sensor, a radiation sensor, a pollutant sensor, and a gas sensor.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the target feature is at least one of particulate matter, ground-level ozone, carbon monoxide, a sulfur oxide, a nitrogen oxide, lead, and an air pollutant.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the system includes multiple sensors each configured to sense a different target feature.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the system includes multiple synthetic jets.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the system includes multiple flow channels.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the system includes multiple synthetic jets each coupled to one or multiple sensors via a corresponding flow channel.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the vibrating membrane comprises single crystal silicon.

11. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one of:

a processor configured to issue an alert in response to the target feature being detected by the sensor;

a display to visually present the alert to a user;

a haptic element to present the alert to the user;

a speaker to aurally present the alert to the user; and

a user interface configured to present detection information in response to the target feature being detected.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the user interface provides at least one of a visual presentation of the detection information and an aural presentation of the detection information.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the detection information comprises at least one of a pass/fail status of the target feature, a concentration level of the target feature, a geolocation of the target feature, and a time of detection.

14. A mobile computing device comprising the system of claim 1.

15. At least one non-transient computer program product encoded with instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause a process to be carried out, the process comprising:

receiving a detection signal associated with a target feature detected by a synthetic jet sensing system, the target feature being detected in ambient air around the synthetic jet sensing system;

determining if the detection signal indicates a given threshold for the target feature has been exceeded; and

in response to determining that the threshold has been exceeded, causing an alert to be issued.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein in response to determining that the threshold has not been exceeded, the process comprises continuing monitoring for presence of the target feature.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein continuing monitoring for presence of the target feature includes periodically monitoring according to a predefined sampling schedule.

18. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein continuing monitoring for presence of the target feature includes periodically monitoring based on movement of a user from one geographic location to another.

19. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the alert is at least one of presented visually via a display screen and presented aurally via a speaker.

20. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the process further comprises logging the alert and associated data in an electronic storage facility, and wherein the associated data comprises at least one of date of detection, time of detection, geo-location of detection, and amount of the target feature detected.

21. The computer program product of claim 20 wherein the electronic storage facility is remote to the synthetic jet sensing system.

22. A sensing device, comprising:

a synthetic jet including a bottom conductor spaced from a membrane so as to provide a lower cavity, and a baffle having an orifice spaced from an opposing side of the membrane to provide an upper cavity, wherein the membrane vibrates in response to a bias applied across the membrane and bottom conductor so as to create a jet flow at the orifice output;

a flow channel to receive the jet flow; and

a sensor to receive the jet flow from the flow channel and to detect a target feature in the jet flow.

23. The device of claim 22 wherein at least one of:

the bottom conductor comprises a non-conductive material having a metal electrode thereon; and

the membrane comprises a non-conductive material having a metal electrode thereon.

24. The device of claim 22 wherein the membrane comprises single crystal silicon.

25. The device of claim 22 wherein the membrane comprises one of piezoelectric material, an electromagnetically actuated material, or an electrostatic membrane.