Aerosol-generating system with adjustable pump flow rate
A method of generating an aerosol in an aerosol-generating system includes storing liquid aerosol-forming substrate in a liquid storage portion and delivering via a pump a liquid aerosol-forming substrate from the liquid storage portion to an atomizer. The method also includes sensing a puff via a a puff sensor in an airflow path of the aerosol-generating system and determining a puff intensity during the puff via a controller. The delivery flow rate of the liquid aerosol-forming substrate to the atomizer is adjusted in response to the determined puff intensity.
1. An aerosol-generating system, the system comprising:
a housing including an air inlet and an air outlet, an airflow path defined between the air inlet and the air outlet;
vaporizer configured to vaporize an aerosol-forming substrate, the vaporizer including,
a heating element;
a liquid storage portion configured to contain the aerosol-forming substrate;
a pump configured to deliver the aerosol-forming substrate from the liquid storage portion to the vaporizer;
a puff sensor in the airflow path, the puff sensor configured to sense a puff, and
a controller configured to determine a puff intensity based on an output from the puff sensor and adjust a delivery flow rate of the pump and the electrical power supplied to the heating element in response to the determined puff intensity.
2. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1 , wherein the puff sensor is one of a pressure sensor or an airflow sensor.
3. A method of generating an aerosol in an aerosol-generating system, comprising:
pumping a liquid aerosol-forming substrate from a liquid storage portion to a vaporizer using a pump, the vaporizer including,
a heating element configured to vaporize the liquid aerosol-forming substrate;
sensing a puff using a puff sensor, the puff sensor in an airflow path of the aerosol-generating system, the puff sensor configured to sense a puff; and
determining, using a controller, a puff intensity based on an output from the puff sensor and values stored in a look-up table, the controller configured to adjust a delivery flow rate of the pump and electrical power supplied to the heating element in response to the determined puff intensity.
4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the puff intensity is based on a puff sensor reading obtained after about 0.1 seconds to about 0.9 seconds after initiation of the puff.
5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the sensing includes at least one of,
detecting the initiation of the puff by the puff sensor, or
detecting the initiation of the puff by activation of a button.
6. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising:
adjusting the electrical power supplied to the heating element in response to the delivery flow rate of the liquid aerosol-forming substrate.
7. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising:
activating the pump until an end of the puff is detected.
8. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising:
pre-heating the heating element upon initiation of a puff.
9. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising:
activating the heating element for the duration of the puff.
10. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising:
activating the heating element for an additional period of time about 0.5 seconds after the pump has been deactivated.