Carbon nanotube temperature and pressure sensors
First Claim
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1. A pressure sensor comprising:
- a plurality of sets of flexible membranes, the plurality of sets of flexible membranes are layered in a first direction, each adjacent set being separated in the first direction by a distance prior to application of pressure, each set of flexible membranes includes at least two membranes, where each flexible membrane includes electrically interconnected nanostructures; and
a power source to the electrically interconnected nanostructures, wherein an external force applied to the pressure sensor deforms at least one of the plurality of set of flexible membranes where adjacent flexible members of the at least two members in the at least one of the plurality of sets contact, wherein changes in the electrical properties of the at least one of the plurality of sets of flexible membranes that results from the external force is correlated to a pressure value for the external force.
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Abstract
The present invention, in one embodiment, provides a method of measuring pressure or temperature using a sensor including a sensor element composed of a plurality of carbon nanotubes. In one example, the resistance of the plurality of carbon nanotubes is measured in response to the application of temperature or pressure. The changes in resistance are then recorded and correlated to temperature or pressure. In one embodiment, the present invention provides for independent measurement of pressure or temperature using the sensors disclosed herein.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A pressure sensor comprising:
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a plurality of sets of flexible membranes, the plurality of sets of flexible membranes are layered in a first direction, each adjacent set being separated in the first direction by a distance prior to application of pressure, each set of flexible membranes includes at least two membranes, where each flexible membrane includes electrically interconnected nanostructures; and a power source to the electrically interconnected nanostructures, wherein an external force applied to the pressure sensor deforms at least one of the plurality of set of flexible membranes where adjacent flexible members of the at least two members in the at least one of the plurality of sets contact, wherein changes in the electrical properties of the at least one of the plurality of sets of flexible membranes that results from the external force is correlated to a pressure value for the external force.
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2. A method of measuring pressure comprising:
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providing a sensor element including a plurality of nanostructures having electrical junctions; applying a current through the plurality of nano structures; measuring electrical properties of the plurality of nanostructures in response to an application of pressure that increases or decreases a number of electrical junctions in the plurality of nanostructures in the sensor element; and correlating the electrical properties of the plurality of nanostructures to pressure, wherein the nanostructures are carbon nanotubes having a purity of greater than 90% and wherein an increase in temperature of the nanostructures from 24°
to 100°
C. produces an increase in resistance of 0.5% or less.
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3. The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein each set of flexible membranes is coupled to a respective detector.
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4. The pressure sensor of claim 3, wherein the respective detector indicates pressure at a respective set of flexible membranes.
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5. The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein when the pressure in the first direction increases, the number of the plurality of sets of flexible membranes being deformed increases.
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6. The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sets of flexible membranes is encased in a flexible substrate.
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7. The pressure sensor of claim 3, wherein each respective detector detects a different pressure value.
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8. The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein the distance between adjacent flexible membranes of the at least two flexible membranes is between 5 nm and 100 nm prior to an application of pressure.
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9. The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein the distance between adjacent sets of the plurality of sets of flexible membranes prior to an application of pressure is greater than the less the distance between adjacent flexible membranes in the same set of the plurality of sets of flexible membranes prior to an application of pressure.
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10. A sensor comprising:
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a substrate; a first sensor element present on a first portion of the substrate comprised of a first plurality nanostructures having a fixed number of electrical junctions, wherein resistance or capacitance of the electrically interconnected carbon nanotubes is correlated to temperature independent of pressure; and a second sensor element present on a second portion of the substrate composed of a second plurality of nanostructures in which the number of electrical junctions in the second plurality of nanostructures varies with changes in pressure that is applied to the second sensor element, wherein resistance or capacitance of the second plurality of carbon nanotubes is correlated to pressure, the first portion and the second portion being separate and non-overlapping regions of the substrate.
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Specification