Sensor having thermal gradients

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9772244-B2
Application number	US-201615343923-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 4, 2016
Priority date	Sep 17, 2013
Publication date	Sep 26, 2017
Grant date	Sep 26, 2017

Abstract

This disclosure provides example methods, devices, and systems for a sensor having thermal gradients. In one embodiment, a system may comprise a sensor assembly including a housing; a first header and a second header coupled to the housing; a first transducer coupled to the first header, wherein the first transducer is configured to measure a first pressure to generate a first pressure signal; a second transducer coupled to the second header, wherein the second transducer is configured to measure a second pressure to generate a second pressure signal; and wherein the first transducer and the second transducer are positioned in the housing such that a first temperature of the first transducer is about equivalent to a second temperature of the second transducer during operation of the sensor assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
providing a housing, the housing comprising a one-piece thermally conductive material having at least a first recess and a second recess configured for depositing and at least partially embedding corresponding transducers and headers within in the housing;
coupling a first header and a second header to the corresponding first and second recesses in the housing;
configuring a first port to extend from the first header and through an end portion of the housing, the first port defined in the housing and configured for communication with a first pressure;
configuring a second port to extend from the second header and through a plurality of channels in communication with a plurality of respective openings distributed around a side portion of the housing, the second port defined in the housing and configured for communication with a reference pressure;
coupling a first transducer to the first header, wherein the first transducer is in communication with the first port; and
coupling a second transducer to the second header, wherein the second transducer is in communication with the second port.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming a piezoresistive network with the first transducer and the second transducer.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein configuring the first port and the second port comprises forming the first port and the second port in a thermally conductive metal housing.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising disposing the first transducer and the second transducer about laterally equidistant from a front surface of the housing.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising mounting the housing to another structure.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising positioning the first transducer and the second transducer symmetrically relative to a longitudinal axis of the housing.

7. A system, comprising:
a sensor assembly, including:
a housing comprising a one-piece thermally conductive material having at least a first recess and a second recess configured for depositing and at least partially embedding corresponding transducers and headers within in the housing;
a first header and a second header coupled to the corresponding first and second recesses in the housing;
a first port defined in the housing and extending from the first header and through an end portion of the housing, the first port configured for communication with a first pressure;
a second port defined in the housing and extending from the second header and through a plurality of channels in communication with a plurality of respective openings distributed around a side portion of the housing, the second port configured for communication with a reference pressure;
a first transducer coupled to the first header and in communication with the first port, wherein the first transducer is configured to measure the first pressure to generate a first pressure signal; and
a second transducer coupled to the second header and in communication with the second port, wherein the second transducer is configured to measure the reference pressure to generate a reference pressure signal;

wherein the first header and the second header are coupled to the housing.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first pressure is characterized by a dynamic pressure having a first temperature, and wherein the reference pressure is characterized by atmospheric pressure, wherein the atmospheric pressure is characterized by a static pressure having a second temperature that differs from the first temperature.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the housing comprises a one-piece thermally conductive metal material disposed around and forming the first port and the second port.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first transducer and the second transducer are positioned in the housing such that a temperature of the first transducer is about equivalent to a temperature of the second transducer during operation of the sensor assembly.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first header and the second header are thermally coupled to the housing.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first transducer and the second transducer are about laterally equidistant from a front surface of the housing.

13. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first transducer and the second transducer are symmetrically positioned relative to a longitudinal axis of the sensor assembly.

14. The system of claim 7 , wherein the housing is configured to secure the sensor to another structure.

15. The system of claim 7 , wherein the sensor assembly further includes:
a third header coupled to the housing;
a third transducer coupled to the third header, wherein the third transducer is configured to measure a third pressure to generate a third pressure signal;
a fourth transducer coupled to the third header, wherein the fourth transducer is configured to measure a fourth pressure to determine a fourth pressure signal; and
wherein each of the first transducer, the second transducer, the third transducer and the fourth transducer has about an equivalent temperature.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the sensor assembly further includes:
a third port coupled to the third transducer, wherein the housing is disposed around and defines the third port;
a fourth port coupled to the second transducer, wherein the housing is disposed around and defines the fourth port;
wherein the third transducer is further configured to:
receive, from the third port, a third pressure; and

wherein the fourth transducer is further configured to:
receive, from the fourth port, a fourth pressure.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the third port and the fourth port are the same port.

18. The system of claim 7 , wherein the sensor assembly further includes:
an electronic component operationally coupled to the first transducer and the second transducer, wherein the electronic component is configured to:
receive, from the first transducer, the first pressure signal;
receive, from the second transducer, the reference pressure signal; and
determine a first differential pressure signal using the first pressure signal and the reference pressure signal.

19. The system of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of channels of the second port are disposed in a one-piece metal housing.

Assignees

• Kulite Semiconductor Products Inc

Inventors

• Derosa Louis
• Gardner Robert
• Martin Richard

Classifications

• G01L19/04

  Means for compensating for effects of changes of temperature {, i.e. other than electric compensation} · CPC title

• G01L13/025 Primary

  using diaphragms · CPC title

• G01L9/06 Primary

  of piezo-resistive devices · CPC title