Advanced wire-mesh sensor technology for fast flow imaging

Wire-mesh sensors are flow imaging devices which are able to generate images of cross-sectional phase distribution at high spatial and temporal resolution. In this paper, we introduce a novel general concept of advanced wire-mesh sensors for the measurement of other physical quantity than phase fractions. The main idea is to provide the wire crossings with miniature transducers which convert a physical quantity into electrical impedance which is in turn measured by the sensor. The multiplexed probing-sensing scheme of wire-mesh sensor is used to readout the transducers. As a first example we developed a temperature wire-mesh sensor. The crossing points are provided with miniature PT1000 resistors. Thus the sensor is able to two-dimensionally map the temperature distribution in a cross-section. First results are presented and discussed.