Systems and methods for testing one or more smoking articles
This document generally describes a system and method configured to generate vapor samples from one or more smoking articles used for testing purposes. The system can be configured in a manner that generates a predetermined flow profile by driving a fluid pump in a scheme that accounts for fluid inertia.
1. A system comprising:
an aerosol-sensor positioned in a flowpath;
a fluid pump capable of producing a flow of smoking article vapor, at a variable velocity, along the flowpath to the aerosol-sensor;
a pump controller communicably coupled to the pump and comprising a processor;
computer memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the pump controller to perform operations comprising:
activate the fluid pump in a first direction for a first time at an overshoot velocity;
activate the fluid pump in the first direction for a second time after the first time at a target velocity less than the overshoot velocity;
activate the fluid pump in a second direction for a third time after the second time at a reversal velocity; and
activate the fluid pump for a fourth time in the second direction after the third time at a second reversal velocity less than the reversal velocity.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the reversal velocity is greater than the target velocity.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations cause the fluid in the flowpath to flow faster than the target velocity for a first duration, and then return to the target velocity for a second duration.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the second duration is more than five times the first duration.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations cause the fluid to flow along the flowpath with a velocity characterized by a pseudotrapezoidal flow pattern, the pseudotrapezoidal flow pattern having a period of greater-than-target velocity.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a sensor-controller communicably coupled to the aerosol-sensor and configured to generate a reading from the aerosol-sensor.
7. A system comprising:
a processor; and
computer memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
activate a fluid pump, in a first direction for a first time at an overshoot velocity, wherein the fluid pump is capable of pumping aerosol emissions of an aerosol-delivery device, at a variable velocity, along a flowpath to an aerosol-sensor;
activate the fluid pump in the first direction for a second time after the first time at a target velocity less than the overshoot velocity;
activate the fluid pump in a second direction for a third time after the second time at a reversal velocity; and
activate the fluid pump for a fourth time in the second direction after the third time at a second reversal velocity less than the reversal velocity.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the reversal velocity is greater than the target velocity.
9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the operations cause the fluid in the flowpath to flow faster than the target velocity for a first duration, and then return to the target velocity for a second duration.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the second duration is more than five times the first duration.
11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the operations cause the fluid to flow along the flowpath with a velocity characterized by a pseudotrapezoidal flow pattern, the pseudotrapezoidal flow pattern having a period of greater-than-target velocity.
12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the system further comprises a sensor-controller communicably coupled to the aerosol-sensor and configured to generate a reading from the aerosol-sensor.
13. A method comprising:
driving a fluid pump, in a first direction for a first time at an overshoot velocity, wherein the fluid pump is capable of producing a flow of smoking article vapor, at a variable velocity, along a flowpath to an aerosol-sensor;
driving the fluid pump in the first direction for a second time after the first time at a target velocity less than the overshoot velocity;
driving the fluid pump in a second direction for a third time after the second time at a reversal velocity; and
driving the fluid pump for a fourth time in the second direction after the third time at a second reversal velocity less than the reversal velocity.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the reversal velocity is greater than the target velocity.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the method causes the fluid in the flowpath to flow faster than the target velocity for a first duration, and then return to the target velocity for a second duration.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the second duration is more than five times the first duration.
17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the method causes the fluid to flow along the flowpath with a velocity characterized by a pseudotrapezoidal flow pattern, the pseudotrapezoidal flow pattern having a period of greater-than-target velocity.
18. The method of claim 13 , wherein a sensor-controller is communicably coupled to the aerosol-sensor and is configured to generate a reading from the aerosol-sensor.