IMSAS presents new chip for 2-dimensional air-velocity measurement
Application during field test in cold storage warehouse
New 2D Chip
Closed measurement system with antenna for wireless transmission
Open measurement system and comparison of old solution with two 1D chips and new 2D chip
In many applications it is necessary to measure not only the magnitude, but also the angle of the air-velocity, e.g. for capturing the flow field in gaps or at surfaces. So far, two separate sensor chips were required to construct a 2-dimensional anemometer. The new IMSAS chip integrates 4 thermopiles placed with a small offset in ±x and ±y direction, close to a heater. Magnitude and angle can be calculated by the x and y difference signals.
The first samples were processed in our clean room and put into service. The required chip area was reduced to 2mm by 2mm, i.e. only 60% of the initial 1-dimensional chip design. Now, only one square 2D chip is necessary instead of two 1D chips. In total, the required chip area was thereby reduced to one third.
The new chip also enables more efficient housing and PCB designs. The sensor element can now be placed exactly in the center of the housing, resulting in an equal sensitivity in all four directions.
The first test in our wind tunnel has shown that the new chip has a higher sensitivity at low velocities.
Nine Wireless Anemometers, equipped with the new 2D chip, were installed in a cold storage warehouse for apples during a field test in November 2017.