1. A multi-turn coil device comprising:
a. a flexible circuit board; and
b. a plurality of serially electrically coupled coils coupled to the flexible circuit board, each coil having a coil direction, and wherein the coils are positioned such that each coil substantially overlaps each of the other coils when the flexible circuit board is folded.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the coils are configured so that when the flexible circuit board is folded, each overlapping coil is in substantially the same direction.
3. The device of claim 2, wherein the flexible circuit board has a first side and a second side and wherein one or more coils are coupled to the second side.
4. The device of claim 3, wherein the serially electrically coupled coils on the first side are electrically coupled to the coils on the second side through an electrically conductive path through the flexible circuit board.
5. The device of claim 2, wherein the folding circuit board is a multilayer flexible circuit board.
6. The device of claim 2, further comprising an insulator configured to prevent the shorting of the coils when folded.
7. The device of claim 2, further comprising one or more alignment means.
8. The device of claim 7, wherein the alignment means is a folding line.
9. The device of claim 2, wherein the flexible circuit board if folded according to an accordion fold, a fold over fold, a double fold, or a rolling fold, therein forming a multi-turn coil.
10-20. (canceled)
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. A device for measuring mass concentration of particulate matter in an exhaust flow of an internal combustion engine, comprising:
a sensor body, wherein the sensor body is configured to be coupled to an exhaust conduit of the internal combustion engine;
a signal electrode and a detector electrode at least partially enclosed in the sensor body, wherein an end of the signal electrode and an end of the detector electrode are configured to be located in the exhaust conduit; and
wherein a voltage is applied to the signal electrode during use and an electric charge accumulates or electrical current flows on the detector electrode as particulate matter flows between the ends of the signal electrode and the detector electrode in the exhaust conduit during use, and wherein the electric charge that accumulates on the detector electrode or the current that flows varies with the mass concentration of particulate matter in the exhaust conduit.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the signal electrode is at least partially enclosed in an insulating material and a conducting tube.
3. The device of claim 1, wherein the detector electrode is at least partially enclosed in an insulating material and a conducting tube.
4. The device of claim 1, wherein the voltage applied to the signal electrode during use is between about 500 volts and about 1000 volts.
5. The device of claim 1, wherein the detector electrode is coupled to a detector system that converts the electric charge that accumulates on the detector electrode or the current flow on the detector electrode into an output voltage, and wherein the output voltage corresponds to the mass concentration of particulate matter in the exhaust conduit.
6. The device of claim 1, further comprising an electrically insulating sheath at least partially enclosing the signal electrode and an electrically insulating sheath at least partially enclosing the detector electrode.
7. A system for measuring mass concentration of particulate matter in an exhaust flow of an internal combustion engine, comprising:
a sensor body, wherein the sensor body is configured to be coupled to an exhaust conduit of the internal combustion engine;
a signal electrode and a detector electrode at least partially enclosed in the sensor body, wherein an end of the signal electrode and an end of the detector electrode are configured to be located in the exhaust conduit;
a voltage supply coupled to the signal electrode; and
a detector system coupled to the detector electrode;
wherein a voltage is applied to the signal electrode from the voltage supply during use and an electric charge accumulates on the detector electrode as particulate matter flows between the ends of the signal electrode and the detector electrode in the exhaust conduit during use, and wherein the electric charge that accumulates on the detector electrode varies with the mass concentration of particulate matter in the exhaust conduit.
8. The system of claim 7, wherein the signal electrode is at least partially enclosed in an insulating material and a conducting tube.
9. The system of claim 7, wherein the detector electrode is at least partially enclosed in an insulating material and a conducting tube.
10. The system of claim 7, wherein the voltage applied to the signal electrode during use is between about 500 volts and about 1000 volts.
11. The system of claim 7, wherein the detector system converts the electric charge that accumulates on the detector electrode or the current flow on the detector electrode into an output voltage, and wherein the output voltage corresponds to the mass concentration of the particulate matter in the exhaust conduit.
12. The system of claim 7, further comprising an electrically insulating sheath at least partially enclosing the signal electrode and an electrically insulating sheath at least partially enclosing the detector electrode.
13. A method for measuring mass concentration of particulate matter in an exhaust conduit of an internal combustion engine, comprising:
applying a voltage to a signal electrode, wherein an end of the signal electrode is located in the exhaust conduit;
measuring an accumulation of electric charge on a detector electrode or a current flow on the detector electrode, wherein an end of the detector electrode is located in the exhaust conduit, and wherein the accumulation of electric charge varies with the mass concentration of particulate matter in the exhaust conduit; and
converting the accumulation of electric charge or electrical current on the detector electrode to an output voltage, wherein the output voltage corresponds to a concentration of particulate matter in the exhaust conduit.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the signal electrode and the detector electrode are at least partially enclosed in a sensor body.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein the signal electrode is at least partially enclosed in an insulating material and a conducting tube.
16. The method of claim 13, wherein the detector electrode is at least partially enclosed in an insulating material and a conducting tube.
17. The method of claim 13, wherein the voltage applied to the signal electrode is between about 500 volts and about 1000 volts.
18. The method of claim 13, further comprising converting the accumulation of electric charge on the detector electrode or the current flow on the detector electrode into an output voltage with a detector system wherein the output voltage corresponds to the mass concentration of particulate matter in the exhaust conduit.
19. A device for measuring mass concentration and size distribution of particulate matter in an exhaust flow of a combustion engine, comprising:
a cylinder section configured to be coupled to an exhaust conduit of the combustion engine;
a light source coupled to a perimeter of the cylinder section; and
at least one photodetector coupled to the perimeter of the cylinder section, wherein at least one of the photodetectors is configured to detect light scattered by particulate matter in the cylinder section, wherein at least one of the photodetectors is placed at a selected angle with respect to the light source, and wherein the selected angle is selected to provide an estimate of the size distribution of the particulate matter during use.
20-32. (canceled)
33. A system for measuring mass concentration and size distribution of particulate matter in an exhaust flow of a combustion engine, comprising:
a cylinder section configured to be coupled to an exhaust conduit of the combustion engine;
a light source coupled to a perimeter of the cylinder section;
at least one photodetector coupled to the perimeter of the cylinder section, wherein at least one of the photodetectors is configured to detect light scattered by particulate matter in the cylinder section, wherein at least one of the photodetectors is placed at a selected angle with respect to the light source, and wherein the selected angle is selected to provide an estimate of the particulate matter size distribution during use; and
an electronics system coupled to the light source and at least one of the photodetectors, wherein the electronics system provides power to the light source and at least one of the photodetectors and obtains data from at least one of the photodetectors during use, and wherein the electronics system processes the data from at least one of the photodetectors to determine the particulate matter mass concentrations and size distributions during use.
34-44. (canceled)
45. A method for measuring mass concentration and size distributions of particulate matter in an exhaust conduit of a combustion engine, comprising:
providing light from a light source into a cylinder section coupled to an exhaust conduit of the combustion engine;
detecting light scattered by particulate matter in the cylinder section with at least one photodetector coupled to a perimeter of the cylinder section, wherein at least one of the photodetectors is placed at a selected angle with respect to the light source, and wherein the selected angle is selected to provide an estimate of the particulate matter size distribution; and
determining the particulate matter mass concentrations and size distributions from data obtained from at least one of the photodetectors.
46-53. (canceled)