Polymer-based micro flow sensor for dynamical flow measurements in hydraulic systems

In this paper we present a micro flow sensor from a polymer for dynamical flow measurements in hydraulic systems. The flow sensor is based on the thermal anemometric principle and consists of two micro-structured housing shells from polysulfone (PSU) which form a small fluidic channel with a cross-section of 580 µm × 400 µm. In between there is a thin polyimide membrane supporting three gold track structures forming an electrical heater and two resistive thermometers which allows the detection of the flow direction, too. The complete sensor is inserted into the hydraulic system, but only a small bypass flow is directed through the fluidic channel by means of a special splitting system. Due to its small heat capacity, the sensor is suitable to detect flow pulsations up to about 1200 Hz which allows the sensor to be used for the condition monitoring or preventive maintenance of hydraulic systems.