Synthetic jet delivering controlled flow to sensor system

• US 10,282,965 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2014
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Marini, Matthew G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Parco, Jr., Ruben C
• Application Number:
  US14/567,625
• Publication Number:
  US 20160171869A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,608 Days
• 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 first cavity,

a second cavity having a single orifice,

a membrane between the first and second cavities,

a first structure adjacent to the first cavity,

a second structure adjacent to the second cavity,

a first insulator spacer between the first structure and the membrane, the first insulator spacer absent between the first cavity and the membrane, and

a second insulator spacer between the second structure and the membrane,

wherein the single orifice of the second cavity outputs to the flow channel, the synthetic jet device configured to entrain surrounding air/fluid into the flow channel to provide a known or controlled jet flow when the membrane vibrates; and

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

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

3. The system of claim 2 further comprising a housing or package containing the substrate.

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 membrane consists of a single material layer between the first and second cavities.

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

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

a processor configured to issue an alert in response to the concentration of 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.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the user interface provides at least one of a visual presentation of the detection information and an aural presentation of the detection information.

12. The system of claim 10 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.

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

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the first structure is a bottom conductor spaced from the membrane so as to provide the first cavity, and the second structure is a baffle having the single orifice spaced from an opposing side of the membrane to provide the second cavity, wherein the membrane vibrates in response to a bias applied across the membrane and bottom conductor so as to create a jet flow out of the single orifice.

15. The system of claim 14 further comprising a substrate and a housing or package, wherein the substrate is within the housing or package.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the synthetic jet device is capable of controlling the jet flow by altering at least one of amplitude, drive signal, oscillation frequency, and oscillation shape of the membrane.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the first cavity is completely enclosed.

18. A sensing system, comprising:

a flow channel;

a synthetic jet device comprising

a first cavity,

a second cavity having a single orifice,

a membrane between the first and second cavities,

a first structure adjacent to the first cavity,

a second structure adjacent to the second cavity,

a first insulator spacer between the first structure and the membrane, and

a second insulator spacer between the second structure and the membrane, the second insulator spacer absent between the second cavity and the membrane,

wherein the single orifice of the second cavity outputs to the flow channel, the synthetic jet device configured to entrain surrounding air/fluid into the flow channel to provide a known or controlled jet flow when the membrane vibrates; and

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

19. The system of claim 18 wherein each of the flow channel, synthetic jet device, and sensor are implemented with discrete components populated on a substrate.

20. The system of claim 18 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.

21. The system of claim 18 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.

22. A sensing system, comprising:

a flow channel;

a synthetic jet device comprising a first cavity,

a second cavity having a single orifice,

a membrane between the first and second cavities, with no other intervening layers between the first and second cavities, a first structure adjacent to the first cavity, a second structure adjacent to the second cavity,

a first insulator spacer between the first structure and the membrane, and a second insulator spacer between the second structure and the membrane, wherein the single orifice of the second cavity outputs to the flow channel, the synthetic jet device configured to entrain surrounding air/fluid into the flow channel to provide a known or controlled jet flow when the membrane vibrates; and

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

23. The system of claim 22 wherein each of the flow channel, synthetic jet device, and sensor are implemented with discrete components populated on a substrate.

24. The system of claim 22 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.

25. The system of claim 22 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.