Flow Sensors

Protron offers a high-temperature stable thermal flow sensor based on a new fabrication process that was developed by IMSAS Bremen. The key advantage of this new fabrication process is a high-temperature LPCVD (low-pressure chemical vapour deposition) passivation layer that makes the sensor superior for liquid applications, such as in hydraulic systems, or for medical and biological sensing. These flow sensors are also excellent for measuring gaseous flow in pneumatic systems or for wind-speed measurement devices.

The thermal flow sensor consists of a central heating element and two high-precision thermopiles up- and down-stream of the heater. These components are placed on a thin membrane of silicon nitride. The free-standing membrane is used for thermally isolating the electrical components and is responsible for the superb dynamic behaviour due to the minimised thermal capacitance and the high grade of miniaturisation.