1. A method for determining time remaining for use of a gas or fluid supply at any given time, said method comprising the steps of:
a) providing a thermal mass flow meter, comprising:
a housing;
a power supply;
an amplifier;
a microprocessor; and
a display;
said housing having an inlet and an outlet for a gas or fluid flow, and said housing comprising a laminar flow element locating at the inlet and at least one sensor board having a top side and a bottom side;
said sensor board comprising at least one heating element and at least one upstream temperature sensor and at least one downstream temperature sensor;
said heating element being connected to the power supply regulated via a power supply enable line by the microprocessor;
said amplifier being connected to the temperature sensors to amplify temperature readings and sending the amplified readings to the microprocessor connected to the flow display;
b) providing information of available gas supply to the microprocessor; and
c) programming the microprocessor to conduct the following steps:
viii) reading a baseline temperature of the temperature sensors, selecting one upstream and one downstream sensor, and calculating a baseline temperature difference between the selected temperature sensors,
ix) signaling the power supply to turn on to heat the heating element,
x) reading a second temperature reading of the temperature sensors after the heating element has been on for a period of time and calculating a second temperature difference between the selected temperature sensors,
xi) calculating a flow rate based on subtraction of base line difference from second temperature difference,
xii) calculating time remaining for the gas supply based on flow rate of step iv), baseline temperature of one of the upstream temperatures sensors in step i) and information of available gas supply in step b),
xiii) showing the time remaining on the display, and
xiv) Signaling the power supply to turn off, and repeating steps i) through vi) once the gas flow is restabilized.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein in step b) a gas pressure sensor is mounted on the gas supply and the microprocessor reads the sensor.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein in step b) the information is manually provided to the microprocessor.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the power supply is a battery.
5. A method for determining time remaining for use of a gas or fluid supply at any given time, said method comprising the steps of:
a) providing a thermal mass flow meter, comprising:
a housing;
a power supply;
an amplifier;
a microprocessor; and
a display;
said housing having an inlet and an outlet for a gas or fluid flow, and said housing comprising a laminar flow element locating at the inlet and a sensor board having a top side and a bottom side;
said sensor board comprising two heating elements, one locating on the top side and one on the bottom side, and at least one upstream temperature sensor and at least one downstream temperature sensor;
said heating elements being connected to the power supply regulated via a power supply enable line by the microprocessor;
said amplifier being connected to the temperature sensors to amplify temperature readings and sending the amplified readings to the microprocessor connected to the display;
b) providing information of available gas supply to the microprocessor; and
c) programming the microprocessor to conduct the following steps:
i) reading a baseline temperature of the temperature sensors on the top side of the sensor board, selecting one upstream and one downstream temperature sensor, and calculating a baseline temperature difference between the selected temperature sensors,
ii) simultaneously with step i) reading a baseline temperature of the temperature sensors on the bottom side of the sensor board, selecting one upstream and one downstream temperature sensors and calculating a baseline temperature difference between the selected temperature sensors,
iii) signaling the power supply to turn on to heat the heating elements,
iv) reading a second temperature reading of the temperature sensors on the top side of the sensor board after the heating element has been on for a period of time and calculating a second temperature difference between the selected temperature sensors,
v) reading a second temperature reading of the temperature sensors on the bottom side of the sensor board after the heating element has been on for a period of time and calculating a second temperature difference between the selected temperature sensors,
vi) calculating a flow rate above the sensor board based on subtraction of base line difference from second temperature difference measured from the sensors on the top side of the sensor board,
vii) calculating a flow rate beneath the sensor board based on subtraction of base line difference from second temperature difference measured from the sensors on the bottom side of the sensor board,
viii) averaging the results of steps vi) and vii) to receive a final flow rate,
ix) calculating time remaining for the gas supply based on flow rate of step viii), baseline temperature of one of the temperatures sensors in step i) and information of available gas supply in step b),
x) showing the time remaining on a display, and
xi) Signaling the power supply to turn off, and repeating steps i) through ix) once the gas flow is restabilized.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein in step b) a gas pressure sensor is mounted on the gas supply and the microprocessor reads the sensor.
7. The method of claim 5 wherein in step b) the information is manually provided to the microprocessor.
8. The method of claim 5, wherein the power supply is a battery.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An apparatus for generating electricity from forced air flow comprising:
an electricity generator with a first panel attached at a peripheral edge to a second panel at a peripheral edge to form a frame; and
said first panel and said second panel each having an opening therein with a propeller rotatably attached to a generator that is disposed in each of said openings.
2. The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said peripheral edge of said first panel and said peripheral edge of said second panel are attached by a hinge.
3. The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein each of said openings is covered by a screen disposed over each of said propellers.
4. The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein:
an electrical output of each of said generators is connected to an electric power module;
an invertermodulator in said electric power module combines each of said electrical outputs and converts the electricity to a proper power output form.
5. The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein an electrical output of each of said generators is connected to a storage cell.
6. The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein:
said frame is attached at an opposed peripheral edge of said peripheral edge of each of said panels to an exhaust end of an exhaust air apparatus to form an arch triangular shape; and
said frame is disposed at said exhaust end to cause exhaust air flow through each of said openings.
7. The apparatus as in claim 6 wherein said exhaust air apparatus is an air conditioning system condensing unit.
8. The apparatus as in claim 4 wherein:
said electric power module receives electric power from an electric power source to power a fan to force air flow in an exhaust air apparatus; and
a power distribution module controls application of said proper power output form to said exhaust air apparatus to supplement application of said electric power source.