SYNTHETIC JET DELIVERING CONTROLLED FLOW TO SENSOR SYSTEM

• Main Authors: GULLBRAND, Jessica, COWAN, Melissa A, EID, Feras, PAWASHE, Chytra
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 01.08.2018
• Subjects: ALARM SYSTEMS; APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL; ATOMISING APPARATUS; INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; MEASUREMENT OF MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OR ULTRASONIC, SONIC ORINFRASONIC WAVES; MEASURING; NOZZLES; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; SIGNALLING; SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; SPRAYING APPARATUS; SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; TESTING; TRANSPORTING

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.