Patent ID: 9709536
Date: 2017-07-18
CPC Classifications: G01K,G01L,G01N

Claim:
1. A thermal flow sensor comprising: at least two elements suspended with respect to a support, said at least two suspended elements comprising n first suspended elements, n being a positive integer higher than 1, each first suspended element being of an electrically conductive material and each first suspended element comprising at least one nanowire, and m second suspended elements, m being a positive integer higher than 0, each second suspended element being of an electrically conductive material; first means for biasing each first suspended element comprising an alternating current source an intensity of which provides heating of each first suspended element by Joule effect; a first sensor for measuring variation amplitude of an electric voltage at terminals of each first suspended element; second means for biasing each second suspended element, comprising an alternating current source of a frequency different from that of the first biasing means or by a direct current source; and a second sensor for measuring variation amplitude of an electric voltage at terminals of each second suspended element, the variation amplitude of the electric voltage being based on a temperature variation of each second suspended element caused by the heating of each first suspended element.