Thermal flow sensors are used to monitor and regulate the flow of fluids in a wide variety of scientific and industrial and scientific applications. They operate by measuring the cooling effect of fluid flow on a heated object, typically by measuring the amount of heating power needed to maintain a sensing element at a constant temperature.
Flow sensing with Thermal Sigma-Delta Modulators
The main goal of this project is to design robust and flexible thermal flow sensors with digital outputs. This can be done by using a hybrid analog/digital feedback loop known as a thermal sigma-delta modulator to maintain a sensing element at a fixed temperature. A secondary goal is to investigate how the resulting flow sensors can be used to acquire information about the fluid, which in turn will increase their versatility. The research will be done in close collaboration with Bronkhorst High-Tech, a leading manufacturer of thermal flow sensors.