Flexible flow sensor for large-scale air-conditioning network systems

A patch-type flexible flow sensor was developed to precisely control the supply air in large-scale air-conditioning network systems in buildings. The proposed sensor enables us to reduce fruitless energy consumption in these systems. The flow sensor was produced by applying photolithography onto a 25-μm-thick polyimide film. The four sensors were attached at 90° angles inside the surface of an 8-in. duct, and the obtained outputs were averaged. The relationship between the sensor output and the flow rate followed the King equation under the 0–3000 m3 h−1 flow condition. The averaged sensor outputs depended on the distance of the sensor position from the bent duct, and their values were slightly higher than that obtained in a straight duct. Therefore, the conversion factor, which enables us to calculate the flow rate values from the obtained sensor outputs in a bent duct, was derived for this paper.