公开(公告)号：US20220404305A1

公开(公告)日：2022-12-22

申请号：US17671809

申请日：2022-02-15

Applicant: The Johns Hopkins University

Inventor： Nicholas R. Kantack ,  Jennifer S. Benzing ,  Tessa B. VanVolkenburg ,  Zhiyong Xia ,  Spencer A. Langevin ,  Daniel S. Ayoub

IPC: G01N27/22 ,  H03K5/24 ,  G01N33/18 ,  G06F1/10

Abstract: A sensor for measuring ocean water salinity is described. The sensor may include a measurement clock circuit, a control clock circuit, and a comparator circuit. The measurement clock circuit, having an output that varies with salinity of a fluid, may have a first circuit architecture that includes a capacitive gap assembly that permits a fluid to flow into a gap between two electrodes of the capacitive gap assembly. The control clock circuit, having an output that does not vary with salinity of the fluid, may have a second circuit architecture comprising a capacitor. The comparator circuit may be configured to compare the controlled clock output to the measured clock output over a duration of time to determine a salinity measurement of the fluid. The first circuit architecture may differ from the second circuit architecture in that an electrically connected position of the capacitive gap assembly within the first circuit architecture is the electrically connected position of the capacitor within the second circuit architecture.