Experimental Studies on Using Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite Materials for Automotive Flow Sensing Applications

Accurate measurements of air and fuel flows in automobile engines are critical because they govern the fuel-air mixing processes in the combustion chamber that could directly impact the combustion efficiency and exhaust emissions. In this paper, we present preliminary results on using ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) materials as a flow sensing mechanism for automotive applications. Under a mechanical stimulus, an IPMC beam undergoes physical movement, which causes ions to redistribute inside the material and results in an electrical signal closely correlated with the mechanical response of the beam. We have performed a series of flow experiments to evaluate the electrical response of an IPMC beam subjected to a fluid motion in a flow channel. Experimental results reveal distinct response characteristics in different fluid media and under different flow conditions. The vibrating motion of the IPMC element has been further verified with high-speed imaging in an open stagnant air environment. The images have shown strong and clean correlation with the IPMC electrical signal. These results suggest that IPMC holds promise as a compact flow sensing mechanism for automotive systems.