AEROSOL MASS SENSOR AND SENSING METHOD

摘要

A mass sensor for measuring particle mass within an aerosol uses resonance frequency detection to determine a mass of particles. A heating element is used for heating the resonant sensor element and it is controlled during a sensing cycle, with the change in mass of the deposited particles monitored during heating. This enables a low cost device to be able to detect particle concentration as well as provide information about the chemical and/or physical nature of the particles.

主权项

1. An air treatment device comprising:
a mass sensor for measuring particle mass within an aerosol, the mass sensor comprising:
a sensor element;a heating element for heating the sensor element;a transducer element for driving the sensor element into resonance and detecting the resonance frequency of the sensor element, wherein the resonance frequency is dependent on a mass of particles deposited on the sensor element; anda controller for operating the heating element and monitor a change in the mass during heating based on a detected change in the resonance frequency, wherein the controller is further adapted to,
compare the change in mass information with information stored in a look-up table, thereby identifying aerosol generating events and expected particle size distributions for the identified events; andcontrol the air treatment device in dependence on the identified aerosol genertaing events and corresponding particle size distributions.