Patent ID: 7516658

Claim:
A transmitter for sensing flow or pressure of a process fluid comprising: a process pipe configured to carry a primary flow of a process fluid; a flow restrictor in the pipe; impulse piping configured to carry a secondary flow of the process fluid from an upstream side of the flow restrictor to a downstream side; an electro-kinetic element positioned within the impulse piping having an electro-kinetic potential related to the primary flow; measurement circuitry configured to measure the electro-kinetic potential across the electro-kinetic element that generates a signal related to the flow or the pressure of the process fluid; wherein the electro-kinetic element comprises a plurality of micro-channels and wherein flow of the process fluid though the micro-channels generates the electro-kinetic potential across the electro-kinetic element and wherein the electro-kinetic potential across the electro-kinetic element is related to the flow though the plurality of micro-channels.