Four-collector flux sensor

摘要

A sensor for measuring the flux of a gas and some simple alternate embodiments are disclosed. The sensor employs charged particle techniques and includes provision for compensating for environmentally produced changes in the charged particle source. The basic device includes an active region containing the charged particle source located between two upstream charged particle collectors and two downstream charged particle collectors, means for maintaining suitable electric fields between the charged particle source and the collectors, and means for measuring the electric current flowing in each collector. In operation, the sensor is able to compensate for changes in the charged particle source characteristics which would otherwise result in a change of sensor calibration.