Patent ID: 6629456
Filing Date: 2003-10-07
Classification: G01F

Abstract:
A flowmeter for detecting a rate and a direction of a fluid flow comprising:fluid temperature detection means for detecting a temperature of said fluid flow; a heating resistor; flow rate detection means arranged on only one of an upstream side and a downstream side of said heating resistor with reference to said fluid flow for detecting the rate of said fluid flow; detection means for detecting the rate and the direction of said fluid flow; heat temperature detection means, apart from the heating resistor, for detecting a temperature of said heating resistor; and control means for controlling the temperature of said heat resistor so that the temperature detected by said heat temperature detection means approaches a reference temperature determined based on the temperature detected by said fluid temperature detection means, wherein a temperature of said flow rate detection means varies depending on the rate and the direction of said fluid flow, and wherein said detection means detects the rate and the direction of said fluid flow based on the temperature of said flow rate detection means.