Sensor Technologies Witness Tremendous Advancements.DUBLIN, Ireland -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c46160) has announced the addition of "World Pressure; Temperature; and Flow Sensor A flow sensor is a device for sensing the rate of fluid flow. Typically a flow sensor is the sensing element used in a flow meter, or flow logger, to record the flow of fluids. Technology Developments (Technical Insights)" to their offering. The Frost & Sullivan research service titled World Pressure, Temperature, and Flow Sensor Technology Developments provides insight into noteworthy and emerging advances in technologies for pressure, temperature, and flow sensors, and the challenges facing their development. In this research, Frost & Sullivan's expert analysts thoroughly examine the following application segments: automotives, consumer electronics, industrial control and monitoring, and medical devices. Market Sectors Expert Frost & Sullivan analysts thoroughly examine the following market sectors in this research: By application: * Automotives * Consumer electronics (Computers) * Industrial controls and monitors * Medical devices * Analytical By technologies: * Piezoceramics * Thermistors * Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS (MicroElectroMechanical Systems) Tiny mechanical devices that are built onto semiconductor chips and are measured in micrometers. In the research labs since the 1980s, MEMS devices began to materialize as commercial products in the mid-1990s. ) and Complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) Pronounced "c-moss." The most widely used integrated circuit design. It is found in almost every electronic product from handheld devices to mainframes. ) based technologies * Wireless sensor networks * Energy harvesting Energy harvesting (also known as Power harvesting or energy scavenging) is the process by which energy is captured and stored. Frequently this term is applied when speaking about small autonomous devices, like those used in sensor networks. * Coriolis and ultrasound flow technologies * Infra [Latin, Below, under, beneath, underneath.] A term employed in legal writing to indicate that the matter designated will appear beneath or in the pages following the reference. infra prep. red (IR) and contact thermal sensors * Fiber optics fiber optics, transmission of digitized messages or information by light pulses along hair-thin glass fibers. Each fiber is surrounded by a cladding having a high index of refractance so that the light is internally reflected and travels the length of the fiber * Nanoflow sensors Technologies The following technologies are covered in this research service: * Pressure Sensors: A pressure sensor converts some mechanical displacement into an electrical quantity, often using a technology that involves a diaphragm. Diverse technologies are used in pressure sensing. These include piezoresistive, piezoelectric The property of certain crystals that causes them to produce voltage when a mechanical pressure is applied to them such as sound vibrations. This technique is used to build crystal microphones, phonograph cartridges and strain gauges, all of which turn mechanical movement into voltage. , capacitiuve, potentiometric, inductive, and resonant. Piezoresistive technology is the main pressure sensing technology. * Temperature Sensors: Temperature sensors fall into two categories: contact sensors and noncontact sensors. Contact sensors make up the majority of temperature sensors. As the name implies, the sensor is in contact and therefore, in thermal equilibrium thermal equilibrium The condition under which two substances in physical contact with each other exchange no heat energy. Two substances in thermal equilibrium are said to be at the same temperature. See also thermodynamics. Noun 1. with the object of the measurement. A key type of noncontact temperature sensor measures temperature from the amount of IR radiation emitted from the object being monitored. * Flow Sensors: There are a number of different technologies used in flow sensors, including differential pressure flowmeters that provide a volumetric flow rate In fluid dynamics and hydrometry, the volumetric flow rate, also volume flow rate and rate of fluid flow, is the volume of fluid which passes through a given surface per unit time (for example cubic meters per second [m3 s-1 output. As the name suggests, they use pressure sensors. Computer calculations incorporating absolute pressure, differential pressure, temperature, and viscosity information are applied to the output signal to obtain the actual flow rate. Technology Overview Sensor Technologies Witness Tremendous Advancements In keeping with changing end-user requirement, there are a number of novel technologies that have been developed for pressure, temperature, and flow sensors. Most of these are refinements of existing technologies and particularly noteworthy are those related to delivery of information generated by smart sensors, especially smart sensor wireless networks. Wireless networking is having a major impact on industrial applications. The development of Zigbee standards for low power consumption applications such as wireless sensor mesh networks is facilitating cost-effective, efficient wireless communications for sensing and control applications. Emerging energy harvesting technologies that rely on vibrational energy, the movement of a switch, and very small thermal differences promise to free wireless sensor networks of the need to change batteries forever are also technologies worth monitoring. With regard to automotive applications, some specific examples of recent developments include sensors that measure and/or control fuel injector pressure, and throttle valves. Tire pressure sensors are also emerging to meet new regulations, and many others have been developed to control specific safety features such as air bags. Medical applications too have some very specific use of sensors and a recent development provides continuous blood pressure monitoring, notes the analyst of this research service. There is now a sensor technology to control the removal of cataracts using a hollow surgical tool, and a portable electronic spirometer spirometer /spi·rom·e·ter/ (spi-rom´e-ter) an instrument for measuring the air taken into and exhaled by the lungs. spi·rom·e·ter n. that uses a pressure sensor to measure respiration for diagnosing pulmonary disease. Oil Industry Adopting FBG FBG Fiber Bragg Gratings FBG Fasting Blood Glucose FBG Functional Brain-Gut Research Group FBG Florida Brewer's Guild FBG Fluidized Bed Generator FBG Flavor Blasted Goldfish (gaming) FBG Forum Battle Group Fiberoptic Sensors While it has taken a few years for them to gain acceptance, fiberoptic temperature and pressure sensors are being increasingly adopted by the oil and gas industries. Down in the harsh environment of well holes, the fibers behave as multiple sensors and serve as the data-transmission pathways from that environment. A Fiber Bragg Grating A short length of optical fiber that filters out a particular wavelength. Periodically spaced zones in the fiber core are altered to have different refractive indexes slightly higher than the core. (FBG) sensor can be made with more than 60 different parameters written into the core of a length of virgin optical fiber using a laser and deployed into an oil well environment that could include temperatures in excess of 250 degrees C and pressure up to 25,000 psi. The FBG fiberoptic technology is far superior to traditional sensor technologies that use a transducer transducer, device that accepts an input of energy in one form and produces an output of energy in some other form, with a known, fixed relationship between the input and output. (a piezoelectric crystal piezoelectric crystal Cardiac pacing A crystal that produces electrical signals when subjected to mechanical deformation; in pacing, PC sensors are used to detect motion, changes in pressure, etc, in certain rate-responsive pacemakers or thermocouple), and produce weaker signals. Notwithstanding these developments, a major challenge for sensor technology, including smart sensors, lies in adhering to the European Union European Union (EU), name given since the ratification (Nov., 1993) of the Treaty of European Union, or Maastricht Treaty, to the European Community (EU) Reduction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS) that require electrical and electronic equipment to be lead free. Lead-based solder has been used in electronic equipment, including sensors, for years, and the most successful piezo-ceramic materials are lead based, says the analyst. RoHS will hence demand the development of suitable lead-free technologies and this has proved significantly costlier to the industries involved than was originally anticipated. For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c46160 |
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