Renesas flow sensor modules measure air, gas or liquid flow across a sensing surface using the thermo-transfer (calorimetric) principle. The flow sensor utilizes a series of MEMS thermocouples, or thermopiles, which provide high sensitivity. The solid thermal isolation of the MEMS sensing element along with the silicon-carbide film offers excellent abrasive wear resistance and long-term reliability. Additional parylene coating is offered in some versions. Renesas offers versions that are calibrated and linearized and uncalibrated non-linear curve output for design flexibility. These mass flow sensors are ideal for use in industrial process control, healthcare, and medical applications.
- Various form factors for wide applications use
- High sensitivity at low flow
- Food-grade materials with NSF certification for water dispensing applications
- Solid-state thermopile sensing with no silicon cavity technology to protect from over-pressure events
- Low Voltage, 3VDC to 5VDC
The sensors have no moving parts and feature a layer of silicon-carbide coating with additional coatings on some versions. This provides excellent shock resistance and prevents typical chemicals from damaging the sensor element – problems inherent to other, common sensor architectures. The attention to these issues makes Renesas' solution especially desirable for use in medical, industrial and FDA-compatible food-grade consumer applications where reliability, robustness and cross-contamination are critical factors.
The Renesas flow sensor modules provide world-class performance and reliability in a flexible module configuration suitable for a wide range of gas and liquid flow applications. These devices are suited for life sciences, health and wellness applications and air or gas flow control systems.
The innovative solid-state sensor element design does not require a cavity and a thin diaphragm in the silicon typically found in other sensors, and features a protective silicon-carbide coating, making for a very robust and reliable flow sensor element compatible with food-grade applications.
Renesas offers fully calibrated and nonlinear flow sensor modules with digital I2C and analog output.
With no moving parts and no fragile diaphragm over a cavity, the design eliminates clogged sensor elements and fluid pressure sensitivity and provides excellent shock resistance. In addition, specialty coatings offer higher resistance in applications in harsh environments.
About Liquid and Gas Mass Flow Sensors
Flow sensors, also known as flow meters, are used to measure the flow rate and the total volume of gases or liquids passing through the module's pre-determined cross-sectional area. These measurements are critical in a broad range of applications, including water dispensers, fluid monitors, oxygen monitors, and gas flow in process equipment.
Renesas' MEMS-based gas flow meter and liquid flow meter modules comprise a resistive heater, and two clusters of thermo-couples (thermopiles), each positioned symmetrically up and down-stream of the heater. The thermopile’s output changes according to the rate of flow; proportional to the amount of heat sensed from the heater. The analog output of the thermopile is typically converted into a calibrated digital output signal that can be used by the system processor.
