Device for determining a property of a fluid and method of forming the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9829358-B2
Application number	US-201415031982-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2014
Priority date	Nov 22, 2013
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

In various embodiments, a device for determining a property of a fluid may be provided. The device may include a fluid receiving structure configured to receive the fluid having a first condition. The device may further include a flow control structure coupled to the fluid receiving structure. The flow control structure may be configured to change the first condition of the fluid to a second condition. The device may further include a determination mechanism configured to determine the property of the fluid based on the second condition. The device may also include a voltage generation mechanism a voltage generation mechanism configured to generate a voltage based on the second condition.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for determining a property of a fluid, the device comprising:
a fluid receiving structure configured to receive the fluid having a first condition;
a flow control structure coupled to the fluid receiving structure, the flow control structure configured to change the first condition of the fluid to a second condition;
a determination mechanism configured to determine the property of the fluid based on the second condition; and
a voltage generation mechanism configured to generate a voltage based on the second condition.

2. The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the flow control structure comprises an obstruction within the fluid receiving structure.

3. The device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a vibration structure attached to the obstruction.

4. The device according to claim 3 ,
wherein the obstruction is further configured to generate a plurality of vortex swirls in the fluid so that the fluid is the second condition;
wherein the vibration structure is configured to move at a frequency due to the plurality of vortex swirls.

5. The device according to claim 4 ,
wherein the vibration structure includes a transducer configured to determine the property of the fluid based on a varying force exerted by the plurality of vortex swirls.

6. The device according to claim 5 ,
wherein the transducer is configured to generate the voltage because of the varying force exerted by the plurality of vortex swirls.

7. The device according to claim 5
wherein the transducer comprises one or more of a piezoelectric material, a triboelectric material, and a magnetic material.

8. The device according to claim 4 ,
wherein the first condition of the fluid is a condition of the fluid being free of the plurality of vortex swirls.

9. The device according to claim 4 ,
wherein the second condition of the fluid is a condition of the fluid having the plurality of vortex swirls.

10. The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the flow control structure comprises an interconnecting channel having a width smaller than a width of the fluid receiving structure.

11. The device according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a cavity coupled to the interconnecting channel so that the interconnecting channel is between the fluid receiving structure and the cavity.

12. The device according to claim 11 ,
wherein the cavity is a whistle type cavity.

13. The device according to claim 11 ,
wherein the cavity comprises a plurality of transducers.

14. The device according to claim 13 ,
wherein the determination mechanism is further configured to determine the property of the fluid based on the first condition of the fluid;
wherein the fluid in the first condition has a first pressure; and
wherein the fluid in the second condition has a second pressure.

15. The device according to claim 14 ,
wherein a first transducer of the plurality of transducers is configured to generate the voltage.

16. The device according to claim 15 ,
wherein a second transducer of the plurality of transducers is configured to determine the property of the fluid based on a difference between the first pressure and the second pressure.

17. The device according to claim 14 ,
wherein the first condition of the fluid is a condition of the fluid having the first pressure.

18. The device according to claim 14 ,
wherein the second condition of the fluid is a condition of the fluid having the second pressure.

19. The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the property of the fluid is a volumetric flow rate.

20. A method of forming a device for determining a property of a fluid, the method comprising:
providing a fluid receiving structure configured to receive the fluid having a first condition;
coupling a flow control structure to the fluid receiving structure, the flow control structure configured to change the first condition of the fluid to a second condition;
providing a determination mechanism configured to determine the property of the fluid based on the fluid having the second condition; and
providing a voltage generation mechanism configured to generate a voltage based on the fluid having the second condition.

Assignees

• Agency Science Tech & Res

Inventors

• Mu Xiaojing
• Sun Chengliang
• Gu Alex Yuandong

Classifications

• G01F1/48

  the pressure or differential pressure being created by a capillary element · CPC title

• G01F1/36

  the pressure or differential pressure being created by the use of flow constriction · CPC title

• G01F1/3218 Primary

  bluff body design · CPC title

• G01F15/063

  using electrical means · CPC title

• G01F1/3209

  using Karman vortices · CPC title