Air inlet rate monitoring system

Abstract

The invention provides an air inlet rate monitoring system which is applied to the technical field of sensors. The air inlet rate monitoring system comprises a data acquisition device located on the side wall of an air inlet pipe, the data acquisition device comprises an air inlet rate sensor, and the air inlet rate sensor comprises a plurality of temperature detection elements (comprising a plurality of thermistors), a plurality of pressure detection elements (comprising a plurality of force sensitive resistors) and a plurality of connecting wires; in this way, through alternate and spaced arrangement of the plurality of thermistors in special shapes and the plurality of force-sensitive resistors in special shapes, the utilization of the occupied area of the substrate is maximized, and the monitoring precision is improved at the same time; moreover, the temperature detection element only comprising the thermistor can be driven by constant current, so that the interference problem caused by voltage driving due to a divider resistor in a traditional temperature detection element is avoided, and the monitoring sensitivity and precision of the air inlet rate monitoring system are further improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of sensors, and particularly to an air intake monitoring system. Background Art

[0002] In the fields of precision instruments, air conditioners, server-class computer systems, etc., for the need to ensure the safe operation of the system, it is necessary to monitor in real time whether the heat dissipation subsystem (such as whether the fan is working properly and whether the air intake flow rate is normal) of the system in a relatively sealed and small space (such as a chassis) is working properly. If the heat dissipation subsystem fails or its performance deteriorates, it may cause the host system to crash or even be severely damaged. In addition, in air quality monitoring applications working in enclosed spaces, it is also necessary to ensure that a certain flow rate and velocity of air can flow through the sensor module (a chassis with a small volume) to achieve effective monitoring and measurement. Since environmental factors such as dust and humidity can cause blockage or performance degradation of the air inlet filter, it may cause a decrease in the air intake volume or even no air intake at all, resulting in the failure or damage of the equipment due to the inability to dissipate heat in time. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to and monitor whether the air flow rate entering the chassis is normal. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an air intake monitoring system to improve the monitoring sensitivity and accuracy of the air intake monitoring system and reduce the production and manufacturing costs.

[0004] To achieve the above purpose, the present invention provides an air intake monitoring system that can be applied to an air intake pipe with an air inlet. The air intake monitoring system includes: a data collection device located on the side wall of the pipe near the air inlet in the air intake pipe, and includes an air intake sensor arranged along the extension direction of the side wall of the pipe. The air intake sensor includes: a substrate.

[0005] A plurality of temperature detection elements are located on the substrate. The temperature detection elements include a plurality of first thermistors and a plurality of second thermistors. The plurality of first thermistors extend along a first direction and are arranged at intervals along a second direction. The plurality of second thermistors extend along the second direction and are arranged at intervals along the first direction. The first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other.

[0006] A plurality of pressure detection elements are located on the substrate. The pressure detection elements include a plurality of first force-sensitive resistors and a plurality of second force-sensitive resistors. The first force-sensitive resistors extend along the first direction and are arranged at intervals along the second direction between two adjacent first thermistors. The second force-sensitive resistors extend along the second direction and are arranged at intervals along the first direction between two adjacent second thermistors.

[0007] Wherein, one of the temperature detection elements and one of the pressure detection elements form a sensor sub-structure.

[0008] Optionally, the air intake sensor may further include: a plurality of connecting wires; the plurality of connecting wires include: a plurality of first connecting wires located between adjacent first thermistors and between adjacent second thermistors to connect the plurality of first thermistors and the plurality of second thermistors in the sensor sub-structure in series and / or in parallel.

[0009] A plurality of second connecting wires located between adjacent first force-sensitive resistors and between adjacent second force-sensitive resistors to connect the plurality of first force-sensitive resistors and the plurality of second force-sensitive resistors in the sensor sub-structure in series and / or in parallel.

[0010] Optionally, the first thermistor and the first force-sensitive resistor have the same projected shape on the substrate, and the projected shape of the first thermistor on the substrate includes a serpentine line shape, a wavy shape, or a long strip shape.

[0011] Optionally, the second thermistor and the second force-sensitive resistor have the same projected shape on the substrate, and the projected shape of the second thermistor on the substrate includes a long strip shape.

[0012] Optionally, in the same temperature detection element, some of the first thermistors have different extension lengths in the first direction, and some of the second thermistors have different extension lengths in the second direction.

[0013] Optionally, in the same pressure detection element, some of the first force-sensitive resistors have different extension lengths in the first direction, and some of the second force-sensitive resistors have different extension lengths in the second direction.

[0014] Optionally, the width of the first thermistor in the second direction is the same as the width of the first force-sensitive resistor in the second direction.

[0015] Optionally, the width of the second thermistor in the first direction is the same as the width of the second force-sensitive resistor in the first direction.

[0016] Optionally, the distance between adjacent first thermistors and first force-sensitive resistors in the second direction is a first distance, and the distance between adjacent second thermistors and second force-sensitive resistors in the first direction is a second distance, and the first distance is equal to the second distance.

[0017] Optionally, the sensitivity of the air intake sensor is determined by an algorithm optimization model, where the algorithm optimization model is: S total= f(W, L, ρ, P, T, X, Y); The constraint conditions in the algorithm optimization model are as follows: W min W ≤ W ≤ max ; L min L ≤ L ≤ max ; T low T ≤ T ≤ high ; P min P ≤ P ≤ W max ; X min X ≤ X ≤ max ; Y min Y ≤ Y ≤ max ; S N S ≤ Nmax ; Among them, S total is the sensitivity of the air intake sensor, W is the equivalent length of the first force-sensitive resistor or the second force-sensitive resistor, L is the equivalent width of the first force-sensitive resistor or the second force-sensitive resistor, ρ is the resistivity of the first force-sensitive resistor and the second force-sensitive resistor, T is the absolute temperature of the gas in the environment, P is the pressure in the environment, X is the distance between adjacent pressure detection elements or the distance between adjacent temperature detection elements, Y is the first distance between adjacent first thermistors and the first force-sensitive resistor or the second distance between adjacent second thermistors and the second force-sensitive resistor, P min and P max are the minimum pressure and the maximum pressure given by the pressure in the environment respectively, T low and T high are the minimum temperature and the maximum temperature given by the environment respectively, X min and X max are the minimum width and the maximum width given by the distance between adjacent pressure detection elements or the distance between adjacent temperature detection elements respectively, Y min and Y max are the minimum width and the maximum width given by the first distance between adjacent first thermistors and the first force-sensitive resistor or the second distance between adjacent second thermistors and the second force-sensitive resistor respectively, S N is the power spectral density, and S Nmax is the maximum thermal noise power spectral density given by the design.

[0018] Optionally, the data acquisition device further includes: a power supply driving module for providing a constant current power supply to the temperature detection element and the pressure detection element.

[0019] Optionally, the data acquisition device further includes: an auxiliary acquisition device, which is located on the substrate and cooperates with the data acquisition device to receive the air intake volume data output by different sensor sub-structures for the same time period, and output the air intake volume data to other functional modules of the air intake volume monitoring system.

[0020] Optionally, the air intake volume monitoring system may further include: A data processing device, connected to the auxiliary acquisition device, for receiving the air intake volume data of different sensor sub-structures, and integrating the different air intake volume data to obtain target air intake volume data.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: In the present invention, on the one hand, the air intake volume monitoring system can be arranged at a position parallel to the air volume direction in the air inlet pipe, that is, on the side wall of the air inlet pipe. The data acquisition device can include an air intake volume sensor, and the air intake volume sensor can include a plurality of temperature detection elements and a plurality of pressure detection elements. Therefore, different sensor sub-structures composed of a temperature detection element and a pressure detection element located outside it can be used to obtain a plurality of air intake volume data within the same time period. Furthermore, based on the plurality of air intake volume data, target air intake volume data is integrated, that is, by means of multi-position or multi-direction air intake volume monitoring and data acquisition, the influence of the installation position of the data acquisition device on the air intake data acquisition is avoided, and the purpose of expanding the application scenario is achieved. At the same time, the monitoring sensitivity and accuracy of the air intake volume monitoring system are improved; on the other hand, the alternating and spaced arrangement of a plurality of thermistors (first thermistor and second thermistor) with special shapes in the temperature detection elements and a plurality of force-sensitive resistors (first force-sensitive resistor and second force-sensitive resistor) with special shapes in the pressure detection elements in each sensor sub-structure maximizes the utilization of the substrate occupancy area and simultaneously improves the monitoring accuracy; moreover, the temperature detection element only including thermistors can also adopt constant current drive, thereby avoiding the interference problem caused by voltage drive due to the voltage-dividing resistors in traditional temperature detection elements, that is, further improving the monitoring sensitivity and accuracy of the air intake volume monitoring system. Description of the Drawings

[0022] The drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the present application, and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the following specific embodiments, they are used to explain the present application, but do not constitute a limitation to the present application. In the drawings: Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of an air intake volume monitoring system provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 2 It is a partial example top view of a data acquisition device provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 3 It is Figure 2 a partial structural schematic diagram of a sensor sub-structure in the data acquisition device shown; Figure 4 It is Figure 1 a schematic diagram of the position where the air intake monitoring system shown is arranged in the air intake pipe.

[0025] Figure 5 a schematic diagram of the working principle of the air intake monitoring system provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Among them, the reference numerals are: 1 - air intake monitoring system; 10 - data acquisition device; 20 - auxiliary acquisition device; 30 - data processing device, 101 - air intake sensor; 101.1 - sensor sub-structure; 100 - substrate; 200 - temperature detection element; 201 - first thermistor; 202 - second thermistor; 300 - pressure detection element; 301 - first force-sensitive resistor; 302 - second force-sensitive resistor; 410 - first pad; 420 - second pad; 430 - third pad; 440 - fourth pad; 450 - fifth pad; 460 - sixth pad; 470 - seventh pad; 480 - eighth pad; 500 - contact hole; 610 - first connecting wire; 620 - second connecting wire, X - the distance between adjacent pressure detection elements or the distance between adjacent two temperature detection elements, Y - the first distance or the second distance.

[0027] In the drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the drawings are not drawn to actual scale. Detailed implementation manners

[0028] To make the objectives, advantages and features of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that the drawings are all in a very simplified form and not drawn to scale, and are only used to conveniently and clearly assist in explaining the objectives of the embodiments of the present invention. In addition, the structures shown in the drawings are often part of the actual structures. In particular, the focuses that each drawing needs to show are different, and sometimes different scales are adopted.

[0029] As used in the present invention, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" include plural referents, the term "or" is generally used in the sense of "and / or", the term "several" is generally used in the sense of "at least one", the term "at least two" is generally used in the sense of "two or more". In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third" are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first", "second", "third" may explicitly or implicitly include one or at least two of such features. "One end" and "the other end", as well as "proximal end" and "distal end" generally refer to two corresponding parts, which include not only the endpoints. The terms "mounted", "connected", "coupled" shall be construed broadly. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or integral; it may be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it may be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and may be the internal communication of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. In addition, as used in the present invention, an element disposed on another element generally only indicates a connection, coupling, cooperation or transmission relationship between the two elements, and the two elements may be directly or indirectly connected, coupled, cooperated or transmitted through an intermediate element, and should not be construed as indicating or implying the spatial position relationship between the two elements, that is, an element may be inside, outside, above, below or on one side of another element in any orientation, unless otherwise explicitly stated in the context. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0030] Currently, in the fields of precision instruments, air conditioners, server-class computer systems, etc., due to the long-term ventilation of the air intake system, environmental factors such as dust and humidity may cause blockage or performance degradation of the air inlet filter in the air intake system, thereby resulting in a reduction in the air intake volume of the air intake system or even complete inability to intake air, and finally causing the air intake system to fail or be damaged because the heat in its internal space cannot be dissipated in time. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to and monitor whether the air flow entering the air intake system, specifically the internal space of the air intake pipe, is normal. The previous solutions usually require manual inspection and cleaning at regular intervals, which will inevitably lead to limited work autonomy and lack of real-time performance, or through some monitoring methods applicable to specific environments. For example, it is required that the pressure-sensitive surface of the air intake volume sensor faces the windward direction of the air intake passage (or simply referred to as the air intake pipe), that is, the air intake volume sensor needs to be perpendicular to the flow direction of the air flow in the air inlet of the air intake pipe. This may have a certain obstructive effect on the air flow in the air intake pipe and is not applicable to some application scenarios that are sensitive to air intake, that is, it cannot meet most scenarios with higher sensitivity.

[0031] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides an air intake volume monitoring system to propose a new structure of the air intake volume monitoring system. Since the temperature detection element includes a plurality of thermistors and the pressure detection element includes a plurality of force-sensitive resistors, therefore, through the alternating and spaced arrangement of the plurality of thermistors with special shapes and the plurality of force-sensitive resistors with special shapes in the pressure detection element, the utilization of the substrate occupied area can be maximized, and at the same time, the monitoring accuracy can be improved; and, the temperature detection element only including thermistors can also adopt constant current drive, thus avoiding the interference problem caused by voltage drive due to the voltage-dividing resistors in the traditional temperature detection element, that is, further improving the monitoring sensitivity and accuracy of the air intake volume monitoring system.

[0032] For the convenience of description, the first direction and the second direction are defined below. The first direction is parallel to the surface direction of the substrate and corresponds to D1 in the drawings, so it is hereinafter simply referred to as the first direction D1; the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction and is also parallel to the surface direction of the substrate, so it is hereinafter simply referred to as the second direction D2.

[0033] Please refer to Figures 1 to 4 , in which Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an air intake volume monitoring system provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a partial example top view of an air intake volume sensor in a data acquisition device provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 What is shown is Figure 2 a partial structural schematic diagram of a sensor sub-structure in the data acquisition device shown. Figure 4 What is shown is Figure 1 a schematic diagram of the position of the air intake volume monitoring system shown in the air intake pipe. As Figure 1 shown, the air intake volume monitoring system 1 may include: a data acquisition device 10, an auxiliary acquisition device 20, a data processing device 30, and a network transmission device (not shown in the figure) and a database (not shown in the figure); wherein the data acquisition device 10, the auxiliary acquisition device 20, the data processing device 30, and the network transmission device and the database may all be integrated on a rigid PCB board or a flexible polyimide board. The data acquisition device 10 is specifically used to collect in real time or periodically from the air intake system, such as Figure 4The air intake volume data flowing in from the air inlet of the shown air inlet pipe, and corresponding air intake volume data are respectively formed for different sensor sub-structures 101.1 in the air intake volume sensor 101; the air intake volume data may be, for example, the wind pressure, the temperature of the air inlet pipe after the air intake volume flows in, etc., and is not limited thereto; the auxiliary acquisition device 20 cooperates (is connected) with the data acquisition device 10, and is specifically used to receive the air intake volume data output by different sensor sub-structures 101.1 in the air intake volume sensor 101 within the same time period or a periodic time period, and output the air intake volume data to other functional modules of the air intake volume monitoring system 1 for subsequent processes to be executed; the data processing device 30 is connected to the auxiliary acquisition device 20, and is specifically used to receive the air intake volume data output by different sensor sub-structures 1"01.1 in the air intake volume sensor 101, and integrate different air intake volume data to obtain the target air intake volume data corresponding to the air intake volume within the same time period or a periodic time period in the air inlet pipe; the network transmission device can cooperate with the data acquisition device 10, the auxiliary acquisition device 20, the data processing device 30, and the database respectively to realize the communication connection between different functional modules in the air intake volume monitoring system; the database is specifically used to store the output data of the data acquisition device 10 and the data processing device 30, such as the air intake volume data output by different sensor sub-structures 101.1 in the air intake volume sensor 101, and the target air intake volume data.

[0034] As Figure 2 shown, the data acquisition device 10 in the air intake volume monitoring system 1 in the embodiment of the present invention may specifically include an air intake volume sensor 101, and the air intake volume sensor 101 may specifically include a plurality of sensor sub-structures 101.1 (including a temperature detection element 200 and a pressure detection element 300); specifically, the plurality of sensor sub-structures 101.1 in the air intake volume sensor 101 may be specifically arranged at intervals along the extending direction parallel to the pipe side wall of the air inlet pipe, that is, the sensitive surface of any sensor sub-structure 101.1 (or understood as the surface of the corresponding element in the sensor sub-structure 101.1 for detecting the air intake volume data) is parallel to the overall flow direction of the incoming air or the wind entering the air inlet pipe from the air inlet (hereinafter simply referred to as the parallel wind direction). And, since the plurality of sensor sub-structures 101.1 in the air intake volume sensor 101 are arranged at intervals, the plurality of sensor sub-structures 101.1 can be arranged in an array manner, for example Figure 2 shown, when the air intake volume sensor 101 has two sensor sub-structures 101.1, the two sensor sub-structures 101.1 can be placed at intervals along the first direction D1 in a row (or placed at intervals along the second direction D2 in a column), but is not limited thereto.

[0035] Specifically, each sensor sub-structure 101.1 in the air intake amount sensor 101 may include: a substrate 100, a temperature detection element 200, a pressure detection element 300, a plurality of pads (including a first pad 410 to an eighth pad 480), a plurality of contact holes 500, and a plurality of connecting wires (including a first connecting wire 610 and a second connecting wire 620). The substrate 100 serves to carry each element and / or component in the air intake amount sensor 101, so that the temperature detection element 200, the pressure detection element 300, the plurality of pads, the plurality of contact holes 500, and the plurality of connecting wires are all located on the substrate 100.

[0036] As Figure 3 shown, for each of the sensor sub-structures 101.1, the temperature detection element 200 included therein may include a plurality of first thermistors 201 and a plurality of second thermistors 202. The plurality of first thermistors 201 extend along the first direction D1 and are spaced apart from each other along the second direction D2. The plurality of second thermistors 202 extend along the second direction D2 and are spaced apart from each other along the first direction D1. In one embodiment, the first thermistor 201 may be in a serpentine line shape, a wavy shape, or a long strip shape (viewed from the projection on the substrate 100), and one end of the plurality of first thermistors 201, for example, the left end, is located in the same vertical direction, while the other end, for example, the right end, is uneven, that is, the extension lengths of some of the first thermistors 201 in the first direction D1 are different; the second thermistor 202 may be in a long strip shape, and one end of the plurality of second thermistors 202, for example, the upper end, may be located in the same horizontal direction, while the other end, for example, the lower end, is uneven, that is, the extension lengths of some of the second thermistors 202 in the second direction D2 are different. Moreover, the plurality of first thermistors 201 and the plurality of second thermistors 202 may be connected in series and / or in parallel through a plurality of first connecting wires 610. For example, the plurality of first thermistors 201 may be sequentially connected in series through the plurality of first connecting wires 610, the second thermistors 202 may be sequentially connected in series through the plurality of first connecting wires 610, or both the plurality of first thermistors 201 and the plurality of second thermistors 202 are sequentially connected in series (or in parallel) through the plurality of first connecting wires 610, but not limited thereto.

[0037] It should be understood that a contact hole 500 may be respectively formed at two ends of the plurality of first thermistors 201 and the plurality of second thermistors 202, and the plurality of first connecting wires 610 may realize series and / or parallel connection of different adjacent first thermistors 201 / different adjacent second thermistors 202 through the contact holes 500 on the plurality of first thermistors 201 or the plurality of second thermistors 202.

[0038] For each of the sensor sub-structures 101.1, the pressure detection element 300 included therein includes a plurality of first force-sensitive resistors 301 and a plurality of second force-sensitive resistors 302. The plurality of first force-sensitive resistors 301 extend along the first direction D1 and are arranged at intervals along the second direction D2. The plurality of second force-sensitive resistors 302 extend along the second direction D2 and are arranged at intervals along the first direction D1. In one embodiment, the first force-sensitive resistors 301 may have the same shape as the plurality of first thermistors 201. For example, they may all be in a serpentine line shape, a wavy shape, or a long strip shape (viewed from the projection on the substrate 100). And the plurality of first force-sensitive resistors 301 may be alternately and spacedly arranged with the plurality of first thermistors 201 along the second direction D2, that is, a first force-sensitive resistor 301 is arranged at intervals between adjacent first thermistors 201. Thus, on both sides of different first thermistors 201 in the second direction D2, there are first force-sensitive resistors 301. In this way, more thermistors and force-sensitive resistors can be arranged per unit area of the substrate 100, and thus the response rate of the air intake sensor 101 can be improved, and the sensitivity of the air intake sensor 101 to external pressure can be increased. Moreover, at both ends of the plurality of first force-sensitive resistors 301 in the first direction D1, such as the left end and the right end, they are the same as the plurality of first thermistors 201. The left ends are in the same vertical direction, while the right ends are uneven, that is, the extension lengths of some of the first force-sensitive resistors 301 in the first direction D1 are different.

[0039] Furthermore, the shape of the plurality of second force-sensitive resistors 302 may also be the same as the shape of the plurality of second thermistors 202. For example, they may be in a long strip shape. And at the two ends of the plurality of second force-sensitive resistors 302 in the second direction D2, such as the upper end and the lower end, they are the same as the plurality of second thermistors 202, that is, the upper ends may be in the same horizontal direction, while the lower ends are uneven, that is, the extension lengths of some of the second force-sensitive resistors 302 in the second direction D2 are different. Moreover, the plurality of first force-sensitive resistors 301 and the plurality of second force-sensitive resistors 302 may be connected in series and / or in parallel through a plurality of second connection wires 620. For example, the plurality of first force-sensitive resistors 301 may be sequentially connected in series through the plurality of second connection wires 620, the second force-sensitive resistors 302 may be sequentially connected in series through the plurality of second connection wires 620, or the plurality of first force-sensitive resistors 301 and the plurality of second force-sensitive resistors 302 are both sequentially connected in series (or in parallel) through the plurality of second connection wires 620, but not limited thereto.

[0040] It should be understood that contact holes 500 may also be respectively formed at both ends of the multiple first force-sensitive resistors 301 and the multiple second force-sensitive resistors 302. The multiple second connection wires 620 can achieve series connection and / or parallel connection of different adjacent first force-sensitive resistors 301 / different adjacent second force-sensitive resistors 302 through the contact holes 500 on the multiple first force-sensitive resistors 301 or the multiple second force-sensitive resistors 302.

[0041] In addition, the air intake amount sensor 101 in the embodiments of the present invention may further include multiple pads. Based on the functions and installation positions of different pads, in the embodiments of the present invention, they are specifically divided into: a first pad 410, a second pad 420, a third pad 430, a fourth pad 440, a fifth pad 450, a sixth pad 460, a seventh pad 470, and an eighth pad 480. Among them, the first pad 410 is a power supply pad, and the second pad 420 is a ground pad. The two can be arranged on the same side of a sensor sub-structure 101.1, for example Figure 2 or Figure 3 at the upper left corner and the lower left corner of the sensor sub-structure 101.1 located on the left as shown, and are respectively electrically connected to the first force-sensitive resistors 301 at the uppermost end and the lowermost end in the second direction D2 in the pressure detection element 300 in the sensor sub-structure 101.1 through the second connection wire 620. The first pad 410 is used to be connected to a power supply driving module in the data acquisition device 10, such as a constant current power supply, to provide a constant current power supply to the pressure detection element 300. The third pad 430 is a power supply pad, and the fourth pad 440 is a ground pad. The third pad 430 and the fourth pad 440 can be arranged on the other side of the sensor sub-structure 101.1 (opposite to the side where the first pad 410 and the second pad 420 are arranged) along the first direction D1, for example Figure 2 or Figure 3 at the upper right corner and the lower right corner of the sensor sub-structure 101.1 located on the left as shown, and are respectively electrically connected to the second thermistor 202 at the leftmost end in the first direction D1 and the first thermistor 201 at the lowermost end in the second direction D2 in the temperature detection element 200 in the sensor sub-structure 101.1 through the second connection wire 620. The third pad 430 is used to be connected to a power supply driving module in the data acquisition device 10, such as a constant current power supply, to provide a constant current power supply to the temperature detection element 200. Similarly, another sensor sub-structure 101.1 in the embodiments of the present invention also corresponds to four pads, namely the fifth pad 450, the sixth pad 460, the seventh pad 470, and the eighth pad 480.

[0042] Obviously, compared with traditional temperature detection elements, the temperature detection element in the embodiment of the present invention does not have a voltage-dividing resistor, and both the temperature detection element 200 and the pressure detection element 300 in the embodiment of the present invention are driven by a constant current source. Therefore, when the external pressure or temperature changes, since the temperature detection element 200 in the embodiment of the present invention does not have a pressure resistor, it is not affected by RC (voltage is usually more vulnerable to interference). Furthermore, it has a stronger anti-interference ability and is provided with a relatively large number of first thermistors and second thermistors, so the monitoring accuracy can also be improved.

[0043] In addition, the first pad 410 and the second pad 420 in the embodiment of the present invention can also be used as voltage-dividing pads to serve as external output current pins.

[0044] It should be particularly noted that in the embodiment of the present invention, multiple connecting wires are located inside the air intake volume sensor. That is, when observing from the cross-sectional view of the semiconductor structure of the air intake volume sensor, both the first connecting wire 610 and the second connecting wire 620 are located in the corresponding resistor material layer within the insulating isolation layer between the corresponding resistor materials in the air intake volume sensor 101. For example, the first connecting wire 610 is specifically located in the insulating isolation layer (the material is, for example, silicon dioxide) between different thermistor material layers, and the second connecting wire 620 is specifically located between the insulating isolation layers between different force-sensitive resistor material layers. That is, the connecting wires for electrically connecting different pads in the embodiment of the present invention are not led out by the bonding lead method or other external wire bonding methods. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the interference of the internal signal of the air intake volume sensor caused by forming the connecting wires by the external wire bonding method, and improve the anti-interference ability, monitoring sensitivity and accuracy of the air intake volume sensor.

[0045] It should be understood that the pressure detection element 300 is specifically configured to collect the pressure point, pressure direction, and pressure magnitude of the air inlet in the air inlet pipe. This pressure detection element 300 can capture corresponding data and output digital or analog sensor signals. Therefore, it can be configured to periodically sense the incoming air in the air inlet pipe and output corresponding data, or it can be configured to an event-triggered working mode, where it only performs sensing and monitoring operations when an event of interest occurs and outputs pressure data. In other embodiments, the pressure detection element 300 has no fixed parameter limitations, but needs to be selected according to specific application scenarios, such as the measurement pressure range, device size, and power supply method, but not limited thereto. The temperature detection element 200 is configured to collect the temperature at the air inlet of the air inlet pipe. This temperature detection element 200 can capture corresponding data and output digital or analog sensor signals; similarly, the temperature detection element 200 can also be configured to periodically sense the incoming air volume in the air inlet pipe and output corresponding data, or it can be configured to an event-triggered working mode, where it only performs sensing and monitoring operations when an event of interest occurs and outputs temperature data. In other embodiments, the temperature detection element 200 has no fixed parameter limitations, but needs to be selected according to specific application scenarios, such as the measurement temperature range, device size, and power supply method, but not limited thereto.

[0046] Specifically, when using the air volume monitoring system described in the embodiments of the present invention to monitor the air volume at the air inlet of the air inlet pipe, the air volume calculation formula can be used to calculate the air volume data of the sensor sub-structure 101.1 in the air volume sensor 101 first, and then integrate the air volume data of all the sensor sub-structures 101.1, and use the integrated data as the target air volume data; where the air volume calculation formula is: ; Where, the air volume at the air inlet of the air inlet pipe, C V is the air volume coefficient (related to the air volume sensor and the characteristics of the air inlet), A is the cross-sectional area of the air inlet pipe, ΔP is the pressure difference in the environment, ρ G is the gas density.

[0047] In one embodiment, the gas density ρ G can be calculated using the formula PV = nR G T; therefore, the gas density ρ G can be calculated from the pressure data and temperature data measured by any one of the sensor sub-structures 101.1. The calculation formula for ρ G is ρ G = PM / RT, where P is the pressure, V is the volume, n is the amount of substance, R GR is the gas constant, T is the absolute temperature of the gas in the environment, and M is the molar mass of the gas; the ΔP can be solved by the Darcy-Weisbach equation, so ΔP = f * (L / D) * (ρv 2 / 2), where f is the friction coefficient (related to the Reynolds number and the pipe roughness), L is the gas flow distance, D is the pipe diameter of the air inlet pipe, ρ is the fluid density, and v is the flow velocity.

[0048] Based on the above formula, the sensitivity calculation formula of the pressure detection element can be determined: ; where P is the pressure in the environment, Q is the air inflow at the air inlet of the air inlet pipe, and ΔP is the pressure difference in the environment.

[0049] Similarly, the sensitivity calculation formula of the temperature detection element can be determined: ; where T is the absolute temperature of the gas in the environment, Q is the air inflow at the air inlet of the air inlet pipe, and ρ G is the gas density. Combining the sensitivity calculation formulas of the pressure detection element and the temperature detection element, the total sensitivity S total of the air inflow sensor can be determined, and the specific formula is as follows: ; where S P is the sensitivity of the pressure detection element, and S T is the sensitivity of the temperature detection element.

[0050] The total sensitivity S total of the air inflow sensor is specifically determined by the sensitivity of the air inflow sensor through an algorithm optimization model, and the algorithm optimization model can be: S total = f (W, L, ρ, P, T, X, Y); The constraint conditions in the algorithm optimization model are: W min ≤ W ≤ W max ; L min ≤ L ≤ L max ; T low ≤ T ≤ T high ; P min ≤ P ≤ W max ; X min ≤ X ≤ X max ; Y min ≤ Y ≤ Ymax ; S N ≤ S Nmax ; wherein, S total is the sensitivity of the air intake flow sensor, W is the equivalent length of the first force-sensitive resistor or the second force-sensitive resistor, L is the equivalent width of the first force-sensitive resistor or the second force-sensitive resistor, ρ is the resistivity of the first force-sensitive resistor and the second force-sensitive resistor, T is the absolute temperature of the gas in the environment, P is the pressure in the environment, X is the distance between adjacent pressure detection elements or the distance between adjacent temperature detection elements, Y is the first distance between adjacent first thermistors and the first force-sensitive resistor (such as the position identified by the reference numeral Y in Figure 3 ), or the second distance between adjacent second thermistors and the second force-sensitive resistor (such as the position identified by the reference numeral Y in Figure 3 ), P min and P max are respectively the minimum width and the maximum width given by the pressure, T low and T high are respectively the lowest temperature and the highest temperature given by the environment, X min and X max are respectively the minimum width and the maximum width given by the interval between adjacent two sensor sub-structures, Y min and Y max are respectively the minimum width and the maximum width given by the first distance between adjacent first thermistors and the first force-sensitive resistor or the second distance between adjacent second thermistors and the second force-sensitive resistor, S N is the power spectral density, and S Nmax is the maximum thermal noise power spectral density given by the design. Thus, the optimal key design dimensions of the air intake flow sensor under given conditions can be determined by solving this model. In other embodiments, in addition to the model described herein, other design constraints may also be considered according to specific application scenarios to further improve and optimize the design and target performance of the air intake flow sensor.

[0051] In this embodiment, carbon nanotubes are used as the core sensitive material to prepare the first thermistor 201, the second thermistor 202, the first force-sensitive resistor 301 and the second force-sensitive resistor 302, and specific auxiliary materials are combined to realize the perception of temperature and micro-pressure. The auxiliary materials may include one or more of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), antioxidant, conductive particles, non-conductive fillers, zinc oxide and calcium stearate, but are not limited to the above auxiliary materials; among them, after the high-density polyethylene is compounded with carbon nanotubes, a thermistor material with PTC (positive temperature coefficient) effect can be formed; the antioxidant is used to improve the antioxidant performance of the material and prevent the performance of the material from decreasing due to oxidation during use; the conductive particles are used to optimize the conductive network or improve the conductivity of the material, and a small amount of conductive particles are generally added; the non-conductive fillers are used to adjust the overall performance of the material, such as hardness, strength, etc.; zinc oxide and calcium stearate are used to improve the processing performance, stability or compatibility with other components of the material. Carbon nanotubes have excellent thermal, mechanical and electrical properties, etc. Its thermal properties show good heat conduction performance, and its mechanical properties show good flexibility. Using carbon nanotubes to prepare a thermistor with thermal properties can realize a temperature detection element 200 with high sensitivity and high precision. At different temperatures, the first thermistor 201 and the second thermistor 202 with thermal properties have different resistivity. Measuring the resistance characteristics of the temperature detection element 200 can perceive the temperature; and using carbon nanotubes to prepare the first force-sensitive resistor 301 and the second force-sensitive resistor 302 with mechanical properties can realize a pressure detection element 300 with high sensitivity and high precision. At different pressures, the first force-sensitive resistor 301 and the second force-sensitive resistor 302 with mechanical properties will produce different degrees of deformation, and then show different resistance characteristics. Measuring the resistance characteristics of the pressure detection element 300 can perceive the pressure.

[0052] Of course, other semiconductor materials can also be used. Other semiconductor materials should also have the effect characteristics sensitive to specific physical quantities, and the effect characteristics are used to convert various non-electrical physical quantities such as mechanical quantities, optical quantities, thermal quantities, magnetic quantities, and biological quantities into electrical signals. For example, thermosensitive semiconductor materials have a strong thermoelectric effect and can convert thermal quantities (temperature) into electrical signals, which are divided into positive temperature coefficient (when the temperature rises, the resistivity decreases) and negative temperature coefficient (when the temperature rises, the resistivity decreases), that is, the resistance value changes with the temperature, so a resistance structure with thermal characteristics prepared by using thermosensitive semiconductor materials can realize a temperature detection element with high sensitivity and high precision. Force-sensitive semiconductor materials have a strong piezoresistive effect and can convert various mechanical quantities such as acting force, acceleration, and flow rate into electrical signals. The piezoresistive effect refers to the physical phenomenon that when a semiconductor crystal is subjected to a pressure, the symmetry of the crystal changes, and the conduction mechanism also changes accordingly, resulting in a change in the resistance value, that is, the resistance value changes with the pressure, so a resistance structure with mechanical characteristics prepared by using force-sensitive semiconductor materials can realize a pressure detection element with high sensitivity and high precision.

[0053] Please refer to Figure 5 , Figure 5 FIG. shows a schematic diagram of the working principle of the air intake volume monitoring system provided in this embodiment. As Figure 5 shown, when using the air intake volume monitoring system to monitor the air intake volume, for the same time period or the same moment (which can also be understood as the moment to be monitored), the pressure detection element of each sensor sub-structure in the air intake volume sensor in the air intake volume monitoring system collects the pressure value of the air intake volume at the air inlet, and the resistance change of the first force-sensitive resistor and the second force-sensitive resistor obtains a first resistance change amount, and then the output current change of the circuit obtains a first current data; while the temperature detection element collects the temperature value at the air inlet, and the resistance change of the first thermistor and the second thermistor obtains a second resistance change amount, and then the output current change of the circuit obtains a second current data; the first current data and the second current data are integrated, such as through convolution operation, to obtain a first target air intake volume data; therefore, for each sensor sub-structure in the air intake volume sensor, the first target air intake volume data, the second target air intake volume data, the third target air intake volume data,..., the Nth target air intake volume data can be obtained in sequence, where N is the number of air intake volume sensors in the air intake volume monitoring system, and N≥2, but preferably N = 2; then, the first target air intake volume data to the Nth target air intake volume data are stored by the data storage unit, and finally the monitoring result is output by the data output unit. For the sake of simplifying the drawings, the Figure 5 schematic diagram corresponding to the case where there are two sensor sub-structures in the air intake volume sensor is only shown in the embodiments of the present invention, but it is not limited thereto.

[0054] In summary, in the present invention, on the one hand, the air intake monitoring system can be arranged at a position parallel to the air volume direction in the air intake pipe, that is, on the side wall of the air intake pipe. The data acquisition device can include an air intake sensor, and the air intake sensor can include a plurality of temperature detection elements and a plurality of pressure detection elements. Therefore, a sensor sub-structure composed of a different temperature detection element and a pressure detection element located outside it can be used to obtain a plurality of air intake data within the same time period. Furthermore, based on the plurality of air intake data, the target air intake data can be integrated, that is, by means of multi-position or multi-direction air intake monitoring and data acquisition, the influence of the installation position of the data acquisition device on the air intake data acquisition can be avoided, and the application scenario can be expanded. At the same time, the monitoring sensitivity and accuracy of the air intake monitoring system are improved; on the other hand, the alternating and spaced arrangement of a plurality of thermistors with special shapes (the first thermistor and the second thermistor) in the temperature detection element and a plurality of force-sensitive resistors with special shapes (the first force-sensitive resistor and the second force-sensitive resistor) in the pressure detection element in each sensor sub-structure maximizes the utilization of the substrate occupation area and simultaneously improves the monitoring accuracy; and the temperature detection element only including thermistors can also adopt constant current drive, thereby avoiding the interference problem caused by voltage drive due to the voltage-dividing resistor in the traditional temperature detection element, that is, further improving the monitoring sensitivity and accuracy of the air intake monitoring system.

[0055] The above is only the preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not impose any limitation on the present invention. Any person skilled in the art, without departing from the technical solution of the present invention, makes any form of equivalent replacement or modification and other changes to the technical solution and technical content disclosed in the present invention, which are all within the content of the technical solution of the present invention and still fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An air intake volume monitoring system is applied to an air intake pipe with an air inlet, and is characterized in that, The air intake volume monitoring system includes: A data acquisition device, which is located on the side wall of the pipeline in the air intake pipe close to the air inlet, and includes an air intake volume sensor arranged along the extension direction parallel to the side wall of the pipeline. The air intake volume sensor includes: A substrate; A plurality of temperature detection elements, which are located on the substrate. The temperature detection elements include a plurality of first thermistors and a plurality of second thermistors. The plurality of first thermistors extend along a first direction and are arranged at intervals along a second direction. The plurality of second thermistors extend along the second direction and are arranged at intervals along the first direction. The first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other; A plurality of pressure detection elements, which are located on the substrate. The pressure detection elements include a plurality of first force-sensitive resistors and a plurality of second force-sensitive resistors. The first force-sensitive resistors extend along the first direction and are arranged at intervals along the second direction between two adjacent first thermistors. The second force-sensitive resistors extend along the second direction and are arranged at intervals along the first direction between two adjacent second thermistors; Wherein, one temperature detection element and one pressure detection element form a sensor sub-structure.

2. The air intake volume monitoring system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air intake volume sensor further includes: A plurality of connecting wires, including: A plurality of first connecting wires, which are located between adjacent first thermistors and between adjacent second thermistors to connect the plurality of first thermistors and the plurality of second thermistors in the sensor sub-structure in series and / or in parallel; A plurality of second connecting wires, which are located between adjacent first force-sensitive resistors and between adjacent second force-sensitive resistors to connect the plurality of first force-sensitive resistors and the plurality of second force-sensitive resistors in the sensor sub-structure in series and / or in parallel.

3. The air intake volume monitoring system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The projection shapes of the first thermistor and the first force-sensitive resistor on the substrate are the same. The projection shape of the first thermistor on the substrate includes a serpentine line shape, a wavy shape or a long strip shape.

4. The air intake monitoring system according to claim 1, characterized in that The projection shapes of the second thermistor and the second force-sensitive resistor on the substrate are the same. The projection shape of the second thermistor on the substrate includes a long strip shape.

5. The air intake monitoring system according to claim 1, characterized in that In the same temperature detection element, the extension lengths of some of the first thermistors in the first direction are different, and the extension lengths of some of the second thermistors in the second direction are different.

6. The air intake volume monitoring system according to claim 5, wherein In the same pressure detection element, the extension lengths of some of the first force-sensitive resistors in the first direction are different, and the extension lengths of some of the second force-sensitive resistors in the second direction are different.

7. The air intake monitoring system according to claim 6, wherein, The width of the first thermistor in the second direction is the same as the width of the first force-sensitive resistor in the second direction.

8. The air intake monitoring system according to claim 6, wherein, The width of the second thermistor in the first direction is the same as the width of the second force-sensitive resistor in the first direction.

9. The air intake monitoring system according to claim 6, wherein The distance between adjacent first thermistors and first force-sensitive resistors in the second direction is a first distance, and the distance between adjacent second thermistors and second force-sensitive resistors in the first direction is a second distance. The first distance is equal to the second distance.

10. The air intake volume monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein, The sensitivity of the air intake flow sensor is determined by an algorithm optimization model, where the algorithm optimization model is as follows: S total = f(W, L, ρ, P, T, X, Y); The constraint conditions in the algorithm optimization model are as follows: W min ≤W≤W max ; L min L ≤ L ≤ L max ; T low T ≤ T ≤ T high ; P min P ≤ P ≤ W max ; X min ≤X≤X max ; Y min ≤Y≤Y max ; S N ≤S Nmax ; Among them, S total is the sensitivity of the air intake sensor, W is the equivalent length of the first force-sensitive resistor or the second force-sensitive resistor, L is the equivalent width of the first force-sensitive resistor or the second force-sensitive resistor, ρ is the resistivity of the first force-sensitive resistor and the second force-sensitive resistor, T is the absolute temperature of the gas in the environment, P is the pressure in the environment, X is the distance between adjacent pressure detection elements or the distance between adjacent temperature detection elements, Y is the first distance between adjacent first thermistors and the first force-sensitive resistor or the second distance between adjacent second thermistors and the second force-sensitive resistor, P min and P max are respectively the lowest pressure and the highest pressure given by the pressure in the environment, T low and T high are respectively the lowest temperature and the highest temperature given by the environment, X min and X max are respectively the minimum width and the maximum width given by the distance between adjacent pressure detection elements or the distance between adjacent temperature detection elements, Y min and Y max are respectively the minimum width and the maximum width given by the first distance between adjacent first thermistors and the first force-sensitive resistor or the second distance between adjacent second thermistors and the second force-sensitive resistor, S N is the power spectral density, and S Nmax is the maximum thermal noise power spectral density given by the design.

11. The air intake monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein: The data acquisition device further includes: a power supply driving module for providing a constant current power supply to the temperature detection element and the pressure detection element.

12. The air intake volume monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein The data acquisition device further includes: an auxiliary acquisition device located on the substrate, cooperating with the data acquisition device, for receiving the air intake flow data output by different sensor sub-structures for the same time period, and outputting the air intake flow data to other functional modules of the air intake flow monitoring system.

13. The air intake volume monitoring system according to claim 12, characterized in that, It further includes: A data processing device, connected to the auxiliary acquisition device, for receiving the air intake flow data of different sensor sub-structures, and integrating the different air intake flow data to obtain target air intake flow data.

Images