Patent ID: 8182143

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: an air intake passage comprising an air intake inlet configured to admit ambient air into the air intake passage; a measurement cell through which air from within the air intake passage is diverted; a first sensor element disposed within the measurement cell at a first location along an interior surface of the measurement cell, the first sensor element providing a signal that is related to a first temperature measured by the first sensor element, the first sensor element being recessed beneath the interior surface; a second sensor element disposed within the measurement cell at a second location along the interior surface of the measurement cell, the second location being at least approximately opposite to the first location across an interior volume of the measurement cell, the second sensor element providing a signal that is related to a second temperature measured by the second sensor element, the second sensor being recessed beneath the interior surface; a control circuit configured to receive the first signal and the second signal and to calculate an ambient air temperature of the ambient air admitted into the air intake passage; and a thermally insulating layer disposed around the measurement cell to thermally isolate the measurement cell from a mobile platform comprising an exterior surface adjacent to which the air intake inlet is disposed; wherein the mobile platform is an aircraft.