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Thermal Measurement Techniques in Analytical Microfluidic Devices
Published on: June 3, 2015
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Fabrication and Evaluation of a Flexible MEMS-Based Microthermal Flow Sensor
Myoung-Ock Cho1, Woojin Jang1, Si-Hyung Lim2
1Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering, Graduate School, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Korea.
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
|December 10, 2021
Summary
This study developed a flexible microthermal flow sensor using MEMS technology. The sensor accurately measures gas and liquid flow velocities, with potential for healthcare biosignal detection.
Area of Science:
- Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS)
- Fluid dynamics
- Sensor technology
Background:
- Traditional flow sensors often lack flexibility and miniaturization capabilities.
- Accurate measurement of fluid velocity is crucial in various scientific and industrial applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and fabricate a flexible microthermal flow sensor using MEMS technology.
- To evaluate the sensor's performance in detecting gas and liquid flow velocities.
- To explore its potential applications in healthcare.
Main Methods:
- Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were employed for sensor design.
- A microheater and two thermistors were fabricated on a flexible polyimide film using MEMS.
- A Wheatstone bridge circuit and LabVIEW software were used for signal processing.
- Mini tube flow tests were conducted for gas and liquid flow characterization.
Main Results:
- A flexible thermal-type micro flow sensor was successfully fabricated.
- The sensor demonstrated good correlation between simulation and experimental data.
- Distinct responses were observed for gas (voltage increases with velocity) and liquid (voltage decreases with velocity) flows.
- High resolutions of 0.64 cm/s (gas) and 1.1 cm/s (liquid) were achieved within a 0-40 cm/s range.
Conclusions:
- The developed MEMS-based flexible microthermal flow sensor is effective for measuring fluid velocities in both gas and liquid mediums.
- The sensor exhibits high sensitivity and resolution.
- With electrical packaging adaptations, the sensor shows promise for biosignal detection in healthcare, such as respiration and body fluid monitoring.
