Method of determination of gas properties at reference conditions

Claim 1

A microsensor apparatus for determining fuel gas properties at reference conditions for a gas at unknown conditions comprising: a semiconductor microbridge structure supported by a substrate having an electrically energizable heater film element thereon and resistive sensor film element(s) located proximate to the heater film element having; a substrate temperature measuring means mounted on said substrate wherein said substrate temperature measuring means is for measuring gas-temperature-at-the-structure-substrate (T g ) from signal provided by said substrate sensor; and such that said structure and said substrate temperature measuring means are so arranged and disposed to be in contact by immersion in the gas to be sensed such that when an electrical energy pulse is applied to said heater film element of sufficient time duration and power, the pulse causes a resulting transient temperature followed by a steady-state temperature in said gas, to a degree detectable by said sensor(s) so as to produce an imbalance output corresponding to the voltage imbalance due to change in resistivity between said sensor element (s) and balance resistor elements, integral s means for measuring the transient temperature signal based on said imbalance output called s and a means for determining the integral of said measurement over time, said signal being provided by said sensor(s), dU measuring means for measuring the sensor steady-state temperature signal called dU from signal based on said imbalance output, T e measuring means for measuring ambient or electronics temperature T e from signal provided by said sensor(s), and a computing device connected to receive said signals dU, T g , and T e , and employing signal processing circuitry, data and processing components, said computing device configured to have k computing means, c computing means and k s computing means; having k computing means for computing thermal conductivity of said fuel gas, k, as a function of dU, and T g (gas temp) while compensating for ambient temperature, T e , influence on electronics receiving input from said dU, T g and T e means, c computing means for computing specific heat of said fuel gas, c p , as a function of dU, and T g while compensating for ambient temperature, T e , receiving input from said dU, T g and T e means, and k s computing means for computing from computed k and measured T g , k s of said fuel gas (k at standard conditions) and an output structure for providing an output representative of at least one of k, c, or k s .

Claim 12

A method to determine fuel gas properties at reference conditions for a gas at unknown conditions in microsensor fuel flow metering apparatus including the steps: providing a semiconductor microbridge flow sensor having an electrically energized heater film element on a sensor substrate and first and second resistive sensor film elements located on opposite sides of and proximate to the heater film; locating the flow sensor in immersed contact with the fuel gas; supplying an electrical energy pulse to said heater film of sufficient time duration and power to cause a resulting transient temperature signal and a steady-state temperature signal in said sensors because of the resultant change in the temperature of the gas so as to produce an imbalance output corresponding to resultant effects on the resistivity of said sensor film elements; measuring heater power, called W hc , required to achieve constant differential temperature, dT, above room temperature; measuring the rise in temperature due to the energy pulse based on said imbalance output and determining its integral; measuring the sensor steady-state output, dU; measuring gas temperature at the sensor substrate; and then, based on these measured signals: computing thermal conductivity of said fuel gas, k, as a function of dU, W hc , and the temperature of the gas at the substrate, T g , while compensating for ambient temperature; computing specific heat of said fuel gas, c p , as a function of dU, W hc , and T g while compensating for ambient temperature; from computed k and measured T g computing a term called k s , which is k at standard conditions of said fuel gas; from computed c p and measured T g computing a term called c ps , which is specific heat of said fuel gas at standard conditions; and providing an output signal representative of at least one of said computed values k, c p , k s or c ps .

Claim 13

A method to determine fuel gas properties at reference conditions for a gas at unknown conditions in microsensor fuel flow metering apparatus including the steps: providing a semiconductor microbridge flow sensor having an electrically energized heater film element on a sensor substrate and first and second resistive sensor film elements located on opposite sides of and proximate to the heater film; locating the flow sensor in immersed contact with the fuel gas; supplying an electrical energy pulse to said heater film of sufficient time duration and power to cause a resulting transient temperature signal and a steady-state temperature signal in said sensors because of the resultant change in the temperature of the gas so as to produce an imbalance output corresponding to resultant effects on the resistivity of said sensor film elements; measuring heater power, called W hc , required to achieve constant differential temperature, dT, above room temperature; measuring the rise in temperature due to the energy pulse based on said imbalance output and determining its integral; measuring the sensor steady-state output, dU; measuring gas temperature at the sensor substrate; and then, based on these measured signals: computing thermal conductivity of said fuel gas, k, as a function of dU, W hc , and the temperature of the gas at the substrate, T g , while compensating for ambient temperature; computing specific heat of said fuel gas, c p , as a function of dU, W hc , and T g while compensating for ambient temperature; from computed k and measured T g computing a term called k s , which is k at standard conditions of said fuel gas; from computed c p and measured T g computing a term called c ps , which is specific heat of said fuel gas at standard conditions; and providing an output signal representative of at least one of said computed values k, c p , k s or c ps .