EP4599720A1

EP4599720A1 - Aerosol provision system with liquid amount estimation via vaporiser features

Info

Publication number: EP4599720A1
Application number: EP24156620.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Scott George BOHAM
Original assignee: Nicoventures Trading Ltd
Current assignee: Nicoventures Trading Ltd
Priority date: 2024-02-08
Filing date: 2024-02-08
Publication date: 2025-08-13

Abstract

Aerosol provision system (10) comprises a reservoir (3) holding liquid of a first type; a vaporiser (4); and a controller (28) configured to: determine a mass of aerosol generated by the vaporiser during a puff taken by a user, from a power level value and a puff duration value, and using an equation relating power level and puff duration to mass of aerosol for an aerosol provision system with a specified configuration of vaporiser and with liquid of a specified liquid type different from the first liquid type; and estimate an amount of liquid in the reservoir after the puff; wherein the vaporiser is modified compared to the specified configuration in order to deliver a different amount of heat energy for vaporising the liquid from the level of power supplied and thereby compensate for a difference in vaporisation behaviour of the first liquid type compared to the specified liquid type.

Description

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to an aerosol provision system configured to estimate an amount of liquid in a reservoir of the aerosol provision system, via one or more features of a vaporiser of the aerosol provision system, and a method for estimating a liquid amount in an aerosol provision system.

Background

Aerosol provision systems which deliver aerosol for inhalation by a user are known, and include e-cigarettes and other electronic nicotine delivery systems that deliver nicotine in the aerosol. In some systems, the aerosol is generated by vaporising liquid to form a vapour, which is entrained in a flow of air drawn through the system as a user inhales or "puffs" on a mouthpiece of the system. Vaporisation is often produced by heating the liquid with an electrically powered heater comprising one or more heating elements; these and similar arrangements can be referred to as a vaporiser. The liquid is stored in a tank or reservoir of the system, and delivered to the vaporiser at a suitable rate in order to be vaporised. For example, this may be achieved by a porous wick which establishes a liquid flow path between the interior of the reservoir and the heater.
The user can continue to use the aerosol provision system for as long as there is liquid available in the reservoir. When the liquid has been consumed, no more aerosol can be generated and, depending on the design of the system, the user has to replace the whole system, replace the reservoir with a new full reservoir, replace a cartridge part of the system that includes the reservoir and possibly the vaporiser with a new cartridge having a full reservoir, or refill the reservoir with more liquid from a separate store. It is useful if the user is able to monitor the consumption of the liquid, for example to keep track of their usage of the aerosol provision system, and also to be aware when the reservoir is becoming empty so that preparation can be made for any of the above actions for obtaining a new supply of liquid. A range of options have been suggested for this, including a reservoir with a transparent wall through which the user can directly observe the amount of remaining liquid, and a variety of sensors that are configured to measure or detect the level of liquid in the reservoir. These approaches require particular features of or directly associated with the reservoir, however, which may need to be replaced together with the reservoir in systems having a replaceable cartridge.
Approaches for determining an amount of liquid in the reservoir of an aerosol provision system therefore of interest.

Summary

According to a first aspect of some embodiments described herein, there is provided an aerosol provision system comprising: a reservoir holding liquid to be vaporised, the liquid being of a first liquid type; a vaporiser for vaporising liquid from the reservoir; and a controller configured to: determine a mass of aerosol generated by the vaporiser during a puff taken by a user, from a power level value indicating a level of power supplied to the vaporiser during the puff and a puff duration value indicating a duration of the puff, and using an equation relating power level and puff duration to mass of aerosol for an aerosol provision system with a specified configuration of vaporiser and with liquid of a specified liquid type different from the first liquid type; and estimate an amount of liquid in the reservoir after the puff by using the determined mass of aerosol and a known amount of liquid in the reservoir prior to the puff; wherein the vaporiser is modified compared to the specified configuration in order to deliver a different amount of heat energy for vaporising the liquid from the level of power supplied and thereby compensate for a difference in vaporisation behaviour of the first liquid type compared to the specified liquid type.
According to a second aspect of some embodiments described herein, there is provided a method for estimating a liquid amount in an aerosol provision system, the method comprising: obtaining a power level value indicating a level of power applied to a vaporiser of the aerosol provision system during a puff taken by a user, the vaporiser configured to generate aerosol by vaporising liquid from a reservoir of the aerosol provision system, the reservoir holding liquid of a first liquid type; obtaining a puff duration value indicating a duration of the puff; determining a mass of aerosol generated by the vaporiser during the puff, from the power level value and the puff duration value, using an equation relating power level and puff duration to mass of aerosol for an aerosol provision system or cartridge therefor with a specified configuration of vaporiser and with liquid of a specified liquid type different from the first liquid type; and estimating an amount of liquid in the reservoir after the puff by using the determined mass of aerosol and a known amount of liquid in the reservoir prior to the puff; wherein the vaporiser has been modified compared to the specified configuration in order to deliver a different amount of heat energy for vaporising the liquid from the level of power supplied and thereby compensate for a difference in vaporisation behaviour of the first liquid type compared to the specified liquid type.
These and further aspects of the certain embodiments are set out in the appended independent and dependent claims. It will be appreciated that features of the dependent claims may be combined with each other and features of the independent claims in combinations other than those explicitly set out in the claims. Furthermore, the approach described herein is not restricted to specific embodiments such as set out below, but includes and contemplates any appropriate combinations of features presented herein. For example, an aerosol provision system and a method may be provided in accordance with approaches described herein which includes any one or more of the various features described below as appropriate.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Various embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail by way of example only with reference to the following drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a simplified schematic longitudinal cross-section through an example aerosol provision system to which aspects of the disclosure can be applied;
Figure 2 shows a graph of aerosol collected mass measurements against puff duration for a range of vaporiser power levels collected from a population of aerosol provision systems with a same type of vaporiser;
Figure 3 shows the graph of Figure 2 with linear best fit lines added for each vaporiser power level;
Figure 4 shows the graph of Figure 2 with nonlinear best fit lines added for each vaporiser power level;
Figure 5 shows a simplified longitudinal cross-section through an aerosol provision system configured according to examples of an aspect of the present disclosure;
Figures 6A-6D show simplified schematic side views of example vaporisers having the form of wire coils and having differing coil structures in order to provide modifications to the vaporisers according to an example of the present disclosure;
Figures 7A-7D show simplified schematic side views of example vaporisers having distinct electrical connections of differing configuration in order to provide modifications to the vaporisers according to another example of the present disclosure;
Figures 8A and 8B show simplified schematic side views of example vaporisers having distinct electrical connections with differing resistive elements in order to provide modifications to the vaporisers according to still another example of the present disclosure;
Figures 9A and 9B shows simplified schematic plan views of example vaporisers having differing porous structures in order to provide modifications to the vaporisers according to a further example of the present disclosure; and
Figure 10 shows a flow chart of steps in an example method for estimating liquid amount in an aerosol provision system according to an aspect of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

Aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments are discussed / described herein. Some aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments may be implemented conventionally and these are not discussed / described in detail in the interests of brevity. It will thus be appreciated that aspects and features of apparatus and method discussed herein which are not described in detail may be implemented in accordance with any conventional techniques for implementing such aspects and features.
As described above, the present disclosure relates to electronic aerosol or vapour provision systems, such as e-cigarettes. Throughout the following description the terms "e-cigarette" and "electronic cigarette" may sometimes be used; however, it will be appreciated these terms may be used interchangeably with aerosol (vapour) provision system or device. The systems are intended to generate an inhalable aerosol by vaporisation of an aerosol-forming substrate in the form of a liquid or gel which may or may not contain nicotine. Additionally, hybrid systems may comprise a liquid or gel substrate plus a solid substrate which is also heated. The solid substrate may be for example tobacco or other non-tobacco products, which may or may not contain nicotine. The term "aerosolisable substrate material" as used herein is intended to refer to substrate materials which can form an aerosol, either through the application of heat or some other means. The term "aerosol" may be used interchangeably with "vapour".
As used herein, the term "component" is used to refer to a part, section, unit, module, assembly or similar of an electronic cigarette or similar device that incorporates several smaller parts or elements, possibly within an exterior housing or wall. An electronic cigarette may be formed or built from one or more such components, and the components may be removably or separably connectable to one another, or may be permanently joined together during manufacture to define the whole electronic cigarette. For example, a system may comprise (at least) two components separably connectable to one another and configured, for example, as an aerosolisable substrate material carrying component holding liquid or another aerosolisable substrate material (a cartridge, cartomiser or consumable, or simply "pod"), and a control unit or device ("device") component having a controller for controlling operation of the aerosol provision system, and a battery for providing electrical power to operate an element for generating vapour from the substrate material. For the sake of providing a concrete example, in the present disclosure, a cartridge or cartomiser (cartridge component or consumable) is described as an example of the aerosolisable substrate material carrying portion or component in which the aerosolisable substrate material is a liquid or a gel held in a reservoir or tank (storage area), but the disclosure is not limited in this regard and is applicable to any configuration of aerosol provision system having a liquid reservoir. A cartridge component may include more or fewer parts than those included in the examples. This is true also of the device component.
The present disclosure is particularly relevant to aerosol provision systems and components thereof that utilise aerosolisable substrate material in the form of a liquid or a gel which is held in a reservoir, tank, container or other receptacle comprised in the system. In such systems an arrangement for delivering the substrate material from the reservoir for the purpose of providing it for vapour / aerosol generation is included. The terms "liquid", "gel", "fluid", "source liquid", "source gel", "source fluid" and the like may be used interchangeably with "aerosolisable substrate material" and "substrate material" to refer to aerosolisable substrate material that has a form capable of being stored and delivered in accordance with examples of the present disclosure.
Figure 1 is a highly schematic diagram (not to scale) of a generic example aerosol/vapour provision system such as an e-cigarette 10, presented for the purpose of showing the relationship between the various parts of a typical system and explaining the general principles of operation. The e-cigarette 10 has a generally elongate shape in this example, extending along a longitudinal axis indicated by a dashed line, and comprises two main components, namely a control or power component, section or unit (device component) 20, and a cartridge component, assembly or section 30 (sometimes referred to as a cartomiser or clearomiser) carrying aerosolisable substrate material and operating as a vapour-generating component.
The cartridge component 30 includes a reservoir 3 containing a source liquid or other aerosolisable substrate material comprising a formulation such as liquid or gel from which an aerosol is to be generated, for example containing nicotine. As an example, the source liquid may comprise around 1 to 3% nicotine and 50% glycerol, with the remainder comprising roughly equal measures of water and propylene glycol, and possibly also comprising other components, such as flavourings. Nicotine-free source liquid may also be used, such as to deliver flavouring. A solid substrate (not illustrated), such as a portion of tobacco or other flavour element through which vapour generated from the liquid is passed, may also be included. The reservoir 3 has the form of a storage tank, being a container or receptacle in which source liquid can be stored such that the liquid is free to move and flow within the confines of the tank. For a consumable cartridge component 30, the reservoir 3 may be sealed after filling during manufacture so as to be disposable after the source liquid is consumed, otherwise, it may have an inlet port or other opening through which new source liquid can be added by the user. The cartridge component 30 also comprises an electrically powered heating element or heater 4 located externally of the reservoir tank 3 for generating the aerosol by vaporisation of the source liquid by heating. Note that in other examples, source liquid may be generated by an alternative powered means such as a vibrating mesh. More generally, the powered means that vaporise the liquid may be referred to as a vapour generating element or vaporiser. A liquid transfer or delivery arrangement (liquid transport element) such as a wick or other porous element 6 may be provided to deliver source liquid from the reservoir 3 to the heater 4 or other vapour generator. A wick 6 may have one or more parts located inside the reservoir 3, or otherwise be in fluid communication with the liquid in the reservoir 3, so as to be able to absorb source liquid and transfer it by wicking or capillary action to other parts of the wick 6 that are adjacent or in contact with the heater 4. This liquid is thereby heated and vaporised, to be replaced by new source liquid from the reservoir for transfer to the heater 4 by the wick 6. The wick may be thought of as a bridge, path or conduit between the reservoir 3 and the heater 4 that delivers or transfers liquid from the reservoir to the heater. Terms including conduit, liquid conduit, liquid transfer path, liquid delivery path, liquid transfer mechanism or element, and liquid delivery mechanism or element may all be used interchangeably herein to refer to a wick or corresponding component or structure.
A heater and wick (or similar) combination is sometimes referred to as an atomiser or atomiser assembly 7, and the reservoir 3 with its source liquid plus the atomiser 7 may be collectively referred to as an aerosol source. Other terminology may include a liquid delivery assembly or a liquid transfer assembly, where in the present context these terms may be used interchangeably to refer to a vapour-generating element (vapour generator) plus a wicking or similar component or structure (liquid transport element) that delivers or transfers liquid obtained from a reservoir to the vapour generator for vapour / aerosol generation. Various designs are possible, in which the parts may be differently arranged compared with the highly schematic representation of Figure 1. For example, the wick 6 may be an entirely separate element from the heater 4, or the heater 4 may be configured to be porous and able to perform at least part of the wicking function directly (a conductive mesh, such as a metallic mesh, for example). In an electrical or electronic device, the vapour generating element may be an electrical heating element that operates by ohmic/resistive (Joule) heating or by inductive heating. In general, therefore, an atomiser can be considered as one or more elements that implement the functionality of a vapour-generating or vaporising element able to generate vapour from source liquid delivered to it, and a liquid transport or delivery element able to deliver or transport liquid from a reservoir or similar liquid store to the vapour generator by a wicking action / capillary force. An atomiser is typically housed in a cartridge component of an aerosol generating system. In some designs, liquid may be dispensed from a reservoir directly onto a vapour generator with no need for a distinct wicking or capillary element. Embodiments of the disclosure are applicable to all and any such configurations which are consistent with the examples and description herein.
Returning to Figure 1, the cartridge component 30 also includes a mouthpiece or mouthpiece portion 35 having an opening or aerosol outlet through which a user may inhale the aerosol generated by the atomiser 7. A single inhalation, during which the user obtains an amount of aerosol, will be referred to herein as a "puff". In other designs, a mouthpiece may be provided as a separate component which may be permanently or separably connectable to the cartridge component 30.
The power component or control unit or, simply, device or device component 20 includes a cell or battery 5 (referred to hereinafter as a battery, and which may be rechargeable) to provide power for electrical components of the e-cigarette 10, in particular to operate the vaporiser such as the heater 4. Additionally, there is a controller 28 such as a printed circuit board and/or other electronics or circuitry for generally controlling the e-cigarette. The control electronics/circuitry 28 operates the heater 4 using power from the battery 5 when vapour is required, for example in response to a signal from an air pressure sensor or air flow sensor ("puff sensor", not shown) that detects an inhalation on the system 10 during which air enters through one or more air inlets 26 in the wall of the device component 20. When the heater 4 is operated, the heater 4 vaporises source liquid delivered from the reservoir 3 by the liquid delivery element 6 to generate the aerosol, and this is then inhaled by a user through the opening in the mouthpiece 35. The aerosol is carried from the aerosol source to the mouthpiece 35 along one or more air flow channels (not shown in Figure 1) that connect the air inlet(s) 26 to the aerosol source to the aerosol outlet when a user inhales on the mouthpiece 35. Since in this example the air inlets 26 to the system are located in the device component 20, the cartridge component 30 has its own air inlet(s) in air flow communication with the device component 20 so that air drawn in through the device component air inlet(s) 26 can reach the interior of the cartridge component 30, and the atomiser 7. In other designs, air inlets may be located in the outer wall of the cartridge component 30 so that air enters directly into the cartridge component 30 instead of arriving there via the device component 20.
The device component (control unit) 20 and the cartridge component (cartomiser, consumable) 30 are, in this example, separate connectable parts detachable from and reattachable to one another by movement in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis, as indicated by the double-headed arrows in Figure 1. Each component 20, 30 has a connecting portion 21, 31 at an end facing towards the corresponding end of the other component, and the components 20, 30 are joined together when the aerosol provision system 10 is ready for use or in use by cooperating engagement elements at the connecting portions 21, 31 (for example, a screw or bayonet fitting, or a push-fit, snap-fit or magnetic connection) which provide mechanical and in the present case electrical connectivity between the device component 20 and the cartridge component 30. Electrical connectivity is required if the heater 4 operates by ohmic heating, or where a vibrating mesh vapour generator or other electrically powered vaporiser is used, so that current can be passed through the heater 4 or otherwise supplied to the vaporiser, and/or to any other electrically powered parts in the cartridge component 30, when these parts in the cartridge component 30 are connected to the battery 5 in the device component 20. In systems that use inductive heating, electrical connectivity for vapour generation can be omitted if no vapour generating parts requiring electrical power are located in the cartridge component 30, although electrical power may still need to be supplied to other electrical parts in the cartridge component. For inductive heating, an inductive work coil can be housed in the device component 20 and supplied with power from the battery 5, and the cartridge component 30 and the device component 20 shaped so that when they are connected, there is an appropriate exposure of the heater 4 to flux generated by the coil for the purpose of generating current flow in the material of the heater 4. For all non-inductively powered parts, the connecting portions 21, 31 include electrical contacts to complete electrical circuits between the powered parts and the battery 5 when the cartridge component 30 and the device component 20 are connected together. Also, apertures for air flow from the device component 20 to the cartridge component 30 are included at the connecting portions 21, 31 of the two components 20, 30 in designs having one or more air inlets 26 in the outer wall(s) of the device component 20. The connecting portions 21, 31 therefore provide an interface between the cartridge component 30 and the device component 20. The Figure 1 design is merely an example arrangement, and the various parts and features may be differently distributed between the device component 20 and the cartridge component 30, and other undepicted elements may be included. The two components 20, 30 may connect together end-to-end in a longitudinal configuration as in Figure 1, or in a different configuration such as a parallel, side-by-side arrangement. The system may or may not be generally cylindrical and/or have a generally longitudinal shape. Either or both components 20, 30 may be intended to be disposed of and replaced when exhausted (the reservoir 3 is empty or the battery 5 is flat, for example), or be intended for multiple uses enabled by actions such as refilling the reservoir 3, replacing the reservoir independently of the cartridge component 30, and recharging the battery 5. In other examples, the aerosol provision system 10 may be unitary, in that the parts of the device component 20 and the cartridge component 30 are comprised in a single housing and cannot be separated. Embodiments and examples of the present disclosure are applicable to any of these configurations and other configurations of which the skilled person will be aware.
During operation of an aerosol provision system, an amount of aerosol is generated during a puff on the system, the aerosol being delivered to the user via the mouthpiece for inhalation. The aerosol is generated by vaporisation of liquid taken from the reservoir, so the amount of aerosol in a puff corresponds to an amount of liquid vaporised to produce the puff, and as puffs continue, the liquid is consumed and the amount of liquid remaining in the reservoir reduces. In particular, a mass of the aerosol in a puff is related to the mass of the liquid used to generate the aerosol of that puff. It is proposed herein to use the relationship between aerosol amount generation and liquid consumption to estimate a remaining amount of liquid in the reservoir. By determining the mass of aerosol in one or more puffs, the remaining amount of liquid in the reservoir may be estimated by subtraction of the mass of aerosol that has been generated from a mass of liquid in the reservoir at a previous time, such as the total liquid mass in the reservoir when full if the total accumulated aerosol mass is tracked, or the liquid mass in the reservoir before a particular puff if the aerosol mass of that puff is determined. Mass is a convenient metric to use for this procedure, but other metrics might also be used, such as volume, or a relationship between one metric for aerosol amount and another metric for liquid amount.
Since the generated aerosol is delivered internally to the user via inhalation, it is not feasible to directly measure the amount of aerosol in an actual real life puff when the user uses the aerosol provision system. However, the amount of aerosol which is generated during a puff depends on characteristics of the aerosol provision system which are known or can be determined, and operating parameters of the aerosol provision system which can be measured. For example, more aerosol is generated in a longer puff than in a shorter puff, so aerosol amount depends on puff duration. A higher amount of power delivered to the vaporiser during the puff can also increase the amount of aerosol, for example by heating a heating element of the vaporiser to a higher temperature, so aerosol amount depends on vaporiser operating power level. Factors such as these can be readily measured during operation of an aerosol provision system, and the controller may be configured to use measured or otherwise ascertained values for these factors to determine an amount of aerosol in a puff using a predetermined relationship between these factors and aerosol amount. From this, a corresponding decrease in the amount of liquid in the reservoir can be determined, allowing a remaining amount of liquid to be estimated. This can then be reported or indicated to the user. The user can then be aware of their liquid consumption, and prepare for replacement or refilling of the reservoir as it approaches an empty state.
It is contemplated that any technique for determining aerosol amount in a manner that allows the amount of generated aerosol to be subtracted from the amount of liquid in the reservoir in a meaningful way may be used. As noted above, mass is a useful metric for this purpose. If mass is used, an approach proposed herein for determination of the mass of aerosol generated in a puff is to use a metric designated as aerosol collected mass (ACM).
The ACM may characteristically refer to a mass of aerosol collected, in laboratory or test conditions, externally from the aerosol provision system during one or more puffs of the device. The ACM may be determined for a given aerosol provision system under certain operating conditions by collecting aerosol in a laboratory aerosol analyser / puff analyser during one or more puffs carried out under controlled conditions of airflow (for example, of airflow duration and airflow rate profile) by the aerosol analyser. The aerosol for a known number of one or more puffs is collected, for example on a fibrous pad, or otherwise condensed out of the aerosol / vapour phase for analysis, and then weighed to determine its mass. The mass of aerosol generated in a puff by a known aerosol generating system operating with known values of operational parameters of the aerosol generating system is thereby determined.
Using this approach, the aerosol mass for a puff under various operating conditions can be ascertained from one particular example of the aerosol generating system. However, users in the future will be using other aerosol generating systems, which may not function identically to the tested aerosol generating system even if all the systems are of the same design. It is known that there can be considerable system-to-system variation that affects aerosol generation, arising from factors including manufacturing variation and user puff techniques, so that no two systems, even when of intended exactly identical design, will perform exactly identically and generate exactly the same amount of aerosol in a puff under identical operating conditions. In order to obtain meaningful ACM data which can employed for the purpose proposed herein of estimating liquid amount in a reservoir, it is proposed to collect ACM data from populations of aerosol provision systems of the same design or type, and use this data to empirically derive a relationship between aerosol mass per puff and values of operating parameters of the aerosol provision systems that can be applied, to determine aerosol mass per puff, in aerosol provision systems of the same or similar type which are later supplied to users. The use of data from a population allows an averaging effect across system-to-system variations, and it has been found that the resulting relationship provides a result which is accurate enough to enable reservoir liquid amount estimation at an accuracy level which is useful to users.
Another source of potential error may be noted, in that the collected mass of aerosol may differ from the mass of liquid which was vaporised, since some aerosol may condense in or on parts of the aerosol delivery system or the aerosol analyser or otherwise be diverted and not collected for weighing. Nevertheless, it has been found that this does not affect the measured data significantly enough to undermine the usability of the ascertained relationship for the purpose of estimated reservoir liquid amount, and may be ignored.
As with averaging techniques in general, the accuracy of the determined relationship between aerosol mass generated and values of the aerosol provision system operating parameters which is ascertained from ACM data obtained empirically as described above can be improved by increasing the size of the population of aerosol provision systems of the same type from which the data is collected. Hence, it is suggested that as large a population as possible is used, within limits set by factors such as time, cost, and the number of vaporisers and/or systems which are available for the purpose. For example, a population comprising about 20 or about 50 or about 100 individual vaporisers or aerosol provision systems (where individual vaporisers may for example be included within individual cartridges which are used in turn with the same device or a smaller number of devices to make complete aerosol provision systems) of the same type may be used to obtain a body of ACM data. Larger or smaller populations are not excluded, however.
It is recognised that many factors affect the amount of aerosol which is comprised within a single puff made on an aerosol provision system of a particular type and design. These include tolerances in part manufacturing and assembly, ambient pressure, humidity, ambient temperature, the temperature of the liquid, properties of the liquid, the strength of the puff (air flow rate through the system and past the vaporiser), puff duration, recent puff history, power level applied to the vaporiser, actual operating power of the vaporiser including electrical tolerances, and efficiency of the vaporiser. If account were to be taken of all the variables when attempting to determine the amount or mass of aerosol in any given puff, the determination would become very laborious. Moreover, some of the factors are not straightforward to measure or account for. Other factors have been determined by experiment to not have a significant effect, so may be ignored without detriment to the estimation. These include the temperature of the liquid and the time between puffs.
Accordingly, it is proposed herein to concentrate on a small number of readily measurable and verifiable parameters. It has been found that sufficient accuracy to enable meaningful reservoir liquid amount reporting to a user can be obtained by considering the level of electrical power applied to the vaporiser (which will typically be a heater, but as noted above, may not be), and the duration of the puff. These two parameters are typically straightforward to ascertain within an aerosol provision system. In some very simple systems, the power supply (battery) delivers only a fixed power level to the vaporiser, so that a single power level value can be provided to the controller of the aerosol provision system for use in liquid amount estimation. More sophisticated aerosol provision systems allow the user to set the power level, perhaps by selection of one power level from a quantity of available power levels, or by adjustment within an available continuous power level range. The selected power regime may correspond to a constant power level over a puff or to a profile of varying power level over a puff. The controller is configured to control the battery to supply the selected power level to the vaporiser, so that the controller has access to the value of the power level which is used for any given puff.
Regarding puff duration, some aerosol provision systems are "puff activated" and include a so-called puff detector or puff sensor, which is a sensor configured to detect when a user inhales on the system. Such sensors detect changes in air flow or air pressure, and are typically used to activate the aerosol provision system for operation. When an inhalation is detected, the sensor sends a signal to the controller, which responds by controlling the supply of power to the vaporiser so that vapour is generated, and stops the supply of power at the end of the puff, when the sensor detects that inhalation has ceased. In such an arrangement, the controller may be provided with a clock configured to time the length of the puff, so that the controller can thereby obtain a value of the duration of the puff. Other aerosol provision systems are activated by a user operated control element on the aerosol provision system, such as a switch or a button, by which the user indicates that aerosol generation is required, in response to which the controller controls the power to be supplied to the vaporiser. For example, the user may press a button at the same time as inhaling on the aerosol provision system, so that the vaporiser is powered for the duration of the button press. In such a system, a puff sensor may be provided for the sole purpose of allowing puff duration to be measured, as described above, rather than for activating aerosol generation. Alternatively, the operation of the user control element may be used as a proxy for puff duration, if it is assumed that the user will operate the user control element to obtain aerosol for approximately the duration of their puff. Hence, a clock may be provided which is configured to time the period between the start and stop of the user control operation, for example, the duration for which a button is pressed, or the time elapsed between a switch being turned on and then off. This time period can then be taken by the controller as a value for the duration of the puff.
Therefore, in order to obtain empirical data from which an appropriate equation relating aerosol mass to power level and puff duration can be derived, measurements of ACM can be made for a range of different known power level values and known puff duration values, using a population of aerosol provision systems of the same design and/or having a same design of vaporiser. The equation can then be obtained by fitting a function or functions to the empirical data.
Figure 2 shows a graph of empirical data obtained in this way from a population of aerosol provision systems of the same type, in that a population of pods or cartridges of the same design, each having an electrically powered vaporiser in the form of an electrical heating element and a reservoir of aerosolisable liquid, were used together with one or more different devices to form the population of aerosol provision systems. The graph indicates puff duration in seconds on the x-axis, and ACM per puff in milligrams on the y-axis. Each data point represents an amount of aerosol, as the ACM, per puff averaged over 25 puffs, measured in laboratory conditions. A selection of different power level values were used for each puff duration value, as indicated. It can be seen that for each power level value and puff duration value combination, the data points cluster together but do show some variation, arising from the pod-to-pod or system-to-system variation discussed further below. It is this variation that the proposed approach aims to address, by suggesting an implementation that turns variable experimental data obtained from a specific population of aerosol provision systems into a workable algorithm applicable to a wider group of the same type of aerosol provision system when used in real world conditions.
Figure 3 shows the graph of Figure 2, with best fit linear functions also shown, for each power level value. Hence a group of best fit lines is obtained, each relating ACM to puff duration value, for each power level value. The functions describing these lines can be then be combined in order to obtain an equation that relates both power level value and puff duration value to ACM. If the ACM is taken as corresponding to the actual mass of aerosol in a puff, M in milligrams, and purely as an example, the equation may have the following form: $M = A - Bt - CP + DtP$ where A, B, C and D are constants, t is the puff duration value in seconds and P is the power level value in watts. As an illustration, for one particular aerosol provision system type, values for the constants were determined to be A = 0.760722, B = 1.150802, C = 0.432436 and D = 0.622964. The skilled person will understand that different values for the constants, and indeed a different form for the equation, may be determined from other empirical data and other mathematical techniques.
Two sources of error can be identified when using an equation of this type, obtained by linear fitting to empirical data. There is a systematic error arising from the mathematical approach taken to derive a single equation from a spread of data points. The value of the aerosol mass predicted using the equation may fall relatively far from the mean of the empirical data, so that a calculated aerosol mass may not accurately reflect the actual aerosol mass in a real puff. This may be found to be worse in some operating regions, for example in the box 40 in Figure 3 for the illustrated empirical data, and at shorter puff durations, as shown in the magnified inset 42. These issues may to some extent be addressed by collecting empirical data from a larger population of aerosol provision systems, to improve the accuracy of the function fitting. There is also the random pod-to-pod or system-to-system error mentioned above, arising from manufacturing and operational differences and variations between vaporisers, reservoirs and overall aerosol provision systems. Even if the best-fit line is very accurate so that the equation can perfectly predict the mean value for the aerosol mass at a puff-duration and power level combination, there will be variation around the mean which is unpredictable so that in a real life situation the calculated aerosol mass will likely differ from the actual aerosol mass in an actual puff. Nevertheless, it has been found that the proposed approach is still sufficiently accurate to enable useful estimation of remaining liquid amount that can be reported to the user is a meaningful way.
While linear fitting to empirical data is straightforward to achieve, and may provide a relatively simple equation that can be efficiently computed to calculate aerosol mass during use of an aerosol provision system, more complex fitting may be applied to the empirical data in some other examples, by fitting a nonlinear function to the data. This can improve accuracy of the determined aerosol mass. Any nonlinear mathematical function may be chosen to best fit a curve to the empirical data; the skilled person will understand how to achieve this with reference to the nature of the data obtained from the laboratory measurements. Examples of suitable functions include, but are not limited to, a quadratic or cubic polynomial function, or a polynomial function of higher order, a spline function, or a piece-wise linear function.
Figure 4 again shows the graph of Figure 2, and differs from Figure 3 in that best fit nonlinear functions are shown fitted to the data for each power level value. As before, the functions describing the best fit lines can be then be combined in order to obtain a single equation that relates both power level value and puff duration value to ACM. Again, this equation can be used to calculate aerosol mass in a puff from the power level value and duration of the puff. A comparison of Figure 4 with Figure 3 shows that the systematic error is reduced compared to the linear fitting, and is much closer to zero since the predicted value, indicated by the line, is much closer to the mean of the measured data. The unpredictable pod-to-pod variation remains, but on average the overall error should be lower than when linear fitting is used. Improvement is particular significant at lower puff durations, as indicated by the magnified inset 44. To improve this further, more empirical data could be collected for shorter puff durations, for example, for other puff duration values near to one second, such as at and/or between 0.5 seconds and 1.5 seconds.
Hence, an equation that relates aerosol mass of a puff to the power level value at the vaporiser used to generate the aerosol in the puff, and the value of the duration of the puff, can be obtained from empirical data measured in laboratory conditions. This equation can be provided to the controller of an aerosol provision system, and stored in memory of the controller (or memory accessible by the controller). The controller is configured to obtain a value of the power level and a value of the puff duration during puffs taken on the aerosol provision system, as described above. When the user takes a puff on the aerosol provision system, the controller obtains the power level value and the puff duration value, and uses these values, with the equation, to determine a mass of the aerosol contained in the puff that has been taken. The controller is further configured to use the determined mass of aerosol to estimate an amount of liquid in the reservoir of the aerosol provision system.
Broadly, the estimation is achieved using the determined mass of aerosol in the puff and a known amount of liquid in the reservoir prior to the puff. This may be implemented in a variety of ways, in which the controller obtains or is provided with a value for the total capacity of the reservoir, being the initial amount or volume of liquid contained in the reservoir when it is full (or otherwise filled or provided with liquid in advance of first use), before any puffs have been taken. In some configurations, the pod or reservoir may not be replaceable, and the controller is provided during manufacture with a value for the total capacity of the reservoir. This may or may not be a mass; it could alternatively be a volume, which the controller is configured to convert to a mass, for example. In configurations in which the pod or reservoir can be replaced, it may be that only reservoirs of a single capacity or single initial liquid fill amount or level are provided by the manufacturer, so that the value of this capacity is provided to the controller during manufacture, and the controller is configured to recognise when a new pod or reservoir is fitted, so that the amount of liquid in the reservoir at that time can be assumed to be equal to the pre-provided value for the total or initial capacity.
In more complex arrangements, the controller may be configured to obtain an expected amount of liquid in the reservoir when the reservoir or pod is newly fitted to the aerosol provision system, or newly filled, that is, a value for the total liquid capacity of reservoir when it is full. It is known to provide reservoirs and/or pods/cartridges with identifying elements which can be read by a controller when the reservoir or pod is coupled to the device of the aerosol provision system in order to obtain identification information about the reservoir/pod. In the current context, this information may include or otherwise indicate a value of the reservoir's total liquid capacity. The identification information may include items of data or information about the pod or reservoir, or may give a simple identification of the pod/reservoir from which the controller is able to ascertain the data or information, for example from a store of such data or information for different pods/reservoirs held in the controller or accessible by the controller from elsewhere. Examples of identifying elements include resistors, capacitors, chips or other electrical or electronic components in circuitry in the pod that can be electrically detected or interrogated by the controller, bar codes, QR codes or other indicia that can be optically read or otherwise sensed by a sensor or detector operated by the controller, and shaped features that engage with complementary features in or on the device, where the controller can sense the engagement. Other examples are not excluded. Where a refillable reservoir is provided, a refilling action may be detected, and reported to the controller, which can assume that after refilling the reservoir contains a liquid amount matching its total liquid capacity. Once the controller has obtained the total liquid capacity for the filled reservoir, the amount of liquid consumed from the reservoir by conversion to aerosol in a puff can be determined per puff using the equation, and deducted from the known total liquid capacity in the reservoir to estimate the amount of liquid remaining in the reservoir. The controller may store the new, reduced amount of liquid, and deduct the aerosol amount in the next puff from that amount, and so on. In other words, the controller keeps track of the amount of aerosol in the reservoir as it depletes after each puff, and subtracts the aerosol amount of the each puff from the reservoir aerosol amount immediately prior to the puff. Alternatively, the controller may accumulate the total amount of aerosol generated by adding the aerosol amount in each puff to the amount in the previous puffs, and subtract the total aerosol amount from the original reservoir total liquid capacity when an estimate of the remaining liquid amount in the reservoir is required.
The estimate of the liquid amount in the reservoir may be stored by the controller and used internally by processes of the aerosol provision system, and/or it may be indicated or reported to the user. An example of a process may be automatic ordering of a replacement pod when the reservoir approaches depletion, if the aerosol provision system is configured for communication with a remote server or with a personal electronic device of the user such as a mobile phone. Indicating to the user may be done regularly or periodically, or on demand when the user operates a user control of the aerosol provision system to request an indication, or only when the reservoir is approaching an empty state (the remaining liquid amount falls below a predetermined threshold, for example) in order to warn the user that the supply of liquid is about to run out.
The controller may be configured to store the equation, and directly use the equation to determine the mass of aerosol in a puff by utilising the obtained values of power level and puff duration in the equation. This approach requires computation by the processor for each puff, but has a low storage requirement since only the equation needs storing. It can also give a relatively accurate determination of the aerosol amount for each puff, since the equation returns a value for the aerosol amount for any value of puff duration and power level; the equation performs an extrapolation between the selected discrete values of puff duration and power level for which the empirical data was collected, which may not correspond to the puff duration value and/or of the power level value for an actual puff.
In other examples, the controller may store a look-up table that stores, for multiple combinations of puff duration value and power level value, a corresponding value for the mass of aerosol in a puff with that combination of puff duration and power level. The controller is configured, when a puff takes places, to retrieve, from the look-up table, an aerosol mass value corresponding to the values of power level and puff duration that the controller has obtained for that puff. The look-up table therefore maps values of power level and values of puff duration to values of aerosol mass. The provision of a look-up table reduces computation by the controller, since there is no need to calculate a value for the equation for each puff, but has an increased storage requirement since a look-up table will be larger than the equation. Also, accuracy may be reduced, since the look-up table can comprise only a limited selection of possible values for the puff duration and the power level. In actuality, the puff duration, and possibly also the power level (depending on power selection implementation in the aerosol provision system) may take any value which may not correspond directly to a value in the look-up table. The controller therefore may therefore allocate an obtained value to the nearest value recorded in the look-up table, or it may always round up or round down the obtained value to the next recorded value. Alternatively, the look-up table may be configured to contain ranges of values of puff duration and/or power level, where the ranges map onto single values for aerosol mass. The look-up table may be populated using the equation to determine values for aerosol mass per puff for a selection of different power levels and puff durations, which may or may not correspond to the values for power level and puff duration used to collect the original empirical data.
Figure 5 shows a highly simplified schematic representation of an example of an aerosol provision system configured to implement remaining liquid amount estimation as described herein. The aerosol provision system 10 is similar to the example shown in Figure 1, and comprises a device component 20 and a cartridge or pod component 30. The system 10 may be unitary, or the pod component 30 may be replaceable. As before, the pod component 30 comprises a reservoir 3 for storing aerosolisable liquid, and having a total liquid capacity when full of liquid. The pod component 30 may be supplied with (or filled to) an initial amount or volume of liquid equal to or less than the total capacity of the reservoir 3. The pod component 30 also comprises a vaporiser 4 for vaporising liquid from the reservoir in order to generate aerosol for delivery to the user during a puff. Also as before, the device component comprises a battery 5 for supplying electrical power to the vaporiser 4, and a controller 28 for controlling the supply of power from the battery 5 to the vaporiser 4. The controller 28 comprises a processor 22 for performing operations and actions such as controlling the supply of power, and estimating remaining liquid amount in the reservoir 3 as described herein. The controller 28 has a memory 23, in which is stored an equation for determining the aerosol amount in a puff, or a look-up table derived from the equation, as described above. The controller 28 also has a clock 24 for timing puff duration, either via a puff detector 32 or via detection of user operation of a button or other user operable control 27 to activate the vaporiser, again as described above. The pod component 30 may include an identifying element from which the controller may obtain a value for the reservoir's initial volume of liquid, before puffing commences, again as described above. Finally, the aerosol provision system 10 may be provided with an indicator 29 such as a visual display on or in an outer housing or wall of the aerosol provision system 10, and operable by the controller 28 to display an indication of an estimated remaining liquid amount in the reservoir 3 (such as a numerical or graphical indication, which may be an indication of the proportion of the remaining liquid amount compared to the initial amount, or an absolute indication). Note that some parts of the aerosol provision system may be located differently from the Figure 5 example, for example within the other of the pod component and the device component.
The above examples have utilised vaporiser power level and puff duration as variable operating parameters that are taken into account to determine the amount of aerosol in a puff. As already mentioned, a variety of factors can affect the amount of aerosol in a puff, some of which can be considered as more or less difficult to account for or considered as more or less significant in their effect. It has been found that a factor which merits attention is the type or composition of the liquid in the reservoir, from which the aerosol is generated. It has been determined that liquid type can have a relatively significant effect on the amount of aerosol generated in a puff. The term "liquid type" is intended to acknowledge that liquid aerosol forming substrate that is vaporised to generate aerosol for delivery by an aerosol provision system is available in many different compositions, which may show differences in vaporisation behaviour under otherwise same or similar conditions. Liquids of different nicotine strength and different flavour are readily available, for example, and may be composed of different ingredients and differing proportions of ingredients, which may affect the rate and temperature at which the liquid vaporises. Hence, puffs at equal power and of equal duration carried out on the same aerosol provision system using different liquids may tend to contain different masses of aerosol. Accordingly, the use of a single equation to determine aerosol mass per puff without regard to the liquid type may produce varying accuracy of estimation of the remaining liquid amount.
It may be that a particular aerosol provision system is configured to only be used with a single liquid type. For example, the aerosol provision system may be of a design in which the pod or the reservoir cannot be replaced, or the reservoir cannot be refilled, and the system is made available prefilled with only a single type of liquid. In such a case, there is no need to take account of the type of liquid in estimating the remaining liquid amount in the reservoir. All that is required is that the empirical data from which the equation used by the controller for determining aerosol amount in a puff is collected using the same type of liquid as is contained in the reservoir, or alternatively a type of liquid with the same or similar vaporisation characteristics as the liquid type contained in the reservoir so that the equation is applicable and give sufficiently accurate results. In the current context, therefore, liquid of a particular type is considered to have vaporisation characteristics or behaviour different from liquid of another type. Two liquids of different type have different vaporisation behaviours.
In other cases, aerosol provision systems of an otherwise same or similar design and configuration are often supplied to the user prefilled with a choice of different liquid types. Other aerosol provision systems are configured to allow the user to consume different liquid types, by replacement of the pod or the reservoir with a pod or reservoir that may contain a different liquid type, or by refilling of the reservoir with a different liquid type. Hence, there are many circumstances in which a user may be consuming liquid which is of a different type to that for which empirical data for obtaining the equation was collected.
An approach to handling different liquid types can be to obtain empirical data for a range of different liquid types so that equations for determining aerosol mass per puff can be derived for different liquid types or that otherwise take account of liquid type. However, this approach can require a substantial amount of laboratory work and resources in order to collect the empirical data. Data storage requirements for the controller are increased if multiple equations or look-up tables for different liquids are stored, and there is a requirement for the controller to be able to ascertain the liquid type so as to apply the appropriate equation when determining the aerosol mass in a puff.
Since the origin of the complexity in estimating liquid amounts for different liquid types lies in the different vaporisation behaviour exhibited by different types of liquid, an alternative approach is proposed herein. It is proposed that the equation for determining aerosol mass in a puff is obtained for liquid of a specified type vaporised in a specified aerosol provision system (in that the configuration of the aerosol provision system is known and specified), and used by the controller of an aerosol provision system in use by a user to estimate liquid amount in the reservoir, as described above, and that a feature of the aerosol provision system itself is modified compared to the specified aerosol provision system in order to compensate for the difference in vaporisation behaviour of the liquid type in the aerosol provision system compared to the specified liquid type for which the equation is obtained. The aim is to adjust the vaporisation performance of the aerosol provision system in such a way that, for a given power level and puff duration the same or approximately the same aerosol mass is produced from the liquid in the aerosol provision system (which we may refer to as a first liquid) as for the specified liquid in the specified aerosol provision system, and/or the rate of liquid consumption by vaporisation is the same or approximately the same, and/or a same or similar number of puffs is required to empty the reservoir. In this way, the equation or look-up tables obtained for the specified liquid type can be directly used by the controller to estimate liquid amounts for a different liquid type without any adjustment of the equation or selection between equations, and with no requirement for the controller to ascertain the liquid type in the reservoir in order to correctly apply the equation.
More specifically, it is contemplated herein that the vaporiser of the aerosol provision system, in terms of its configuration, design and/or performance, be modified in order to compensate for a different vaporisation behaviour of the liquid of the first type in the reservoir as compared to the specified liquid type. The vaporiser is modified compared to the configuration of the vaporiser in the specified aerosol provision system, which may be referred to as the specified configuration of vaporiser, the specified vaporiser or simply the specified configuration. For example, the vaporiser may be modified in order to deliver a different amount of heat energy than the specified vaporiser for the same level of power supplied to it to cause vaporisation of the liquid. This modification can be utilised when the vaporiser comprises an electrical heating element, for instance.
Since the first liquid type and the specified liquid type exhibit different vaporisation behaviours, an aim in achieving liquid amount estimation accuracy via an equation derived for the specified liquid type is to enable the two liquid types to produce a same aerosol mass in a puff for the same puff duration and same power level applied to the vaporiser. This makes the available equation equally applicable to the first liquid type. Since the vaporisation behaviours are fixed, and the puff duration and power level supplied by the controller to the vaporiser are under the user's choice (or fixed in systems with no power level adjustment), the configuration of the vaporiser becomes a variable that can be modified to achieve matching of the aerosol masses. If the first liquid type vaporises more rapidly or at a lower temperature, the vaporiser can be modified so that it reaches a lower temperature in the course of a puff or outputs less heat energy than the vaporiser in the specified aerosol provision system for the same applied power level. If the first liquid type vaporises more slowly or at a higher temperature, the vaporiser can be modified so that it reaches a higher temperature in the course of a puff or outputs more heat energy than the vaporiser in the specified aerosol provision system for the same applied power level.
Hence, it is proposed that the vaporiser is modified such that the heat energy it produces for vaporisation of liquid of the first type provided to it from the reservoir in the aerosol provision system is selected such that the mass of aerosol generated in a puff with a given puff duration value and a given power level value is the same or substantially the same as the mass of aerosol generated in a puff with the same puff duration value and the same power level value by the specified vaporiser vaporising liquid of the specified type. Since the specified vaporiser and the specified type of liquid are used in collecting the empirical data to obtain the equation for determining the mass of aerosol in a puff, this is effectively equivalent to modifying the vaporiser so that the mass of aerosol generated in a puff with a given puff duration value and a given power level value is the same or substantially the same as the mass of aerosol which is determined using the equation with the given puff duration value and the given power level value.
An electrical heating element converts electrical energy into heat energy. The passage of electric current through an electrically resistive component (resistor) generates heat, via the process of Joule heating. In the context of an aerosol provision system, an electrical heating element has aerosolisable substrate material, which in the current context is a liquid, provided on or near its surface, such as by a wick carrying liquid from the reservoir to the environs of the heating element. A selected amount of electrical power is applied to the heating element from the battery under control of the controller so that current flows through the heating element and heat is generated. This heat energy transfers to the adjacent liquid which is heated in turn to its vaporisation temperature and vapour is produced. Air flowing over or past the heating element collects the vapour so that aerosol is formed and delivered to the user for inhalation. As the vapour is removed by the flowing air, it is replaced by vaporisation of further liquid delivered to the heating element, thereby maintaining aerosol production for the time that power continues to be supplied to the heating element to generate the heat energy.
The electrical resistance of the heating element is the property that allows the conversion of the applied electrical energy to heat energy, according to the equation P = I² R, where P is the amount of applied electrical power lost or converted to heat, I is the electrical current in amps, and R is the electrical resistance in ohms. Since power is defined as energy per time, the heat energy Q produced by the heating element is Q = I² R t, where t is time in seconds. Hence, the amount of heat energy produced for a given value of current can be altered by changing the resistance of the heating element. In the present context, the electrical current is not available as a variable because we want to utilise the values of electrical power supplied to the vaporiser in a manner consistent with the equation, so that the controller is able to use the equation to estimate remaining liquid amounts even though a different liquid is being used.
Accordingly, a way to modify the vaporiser in order to compensate for different liquid types is to alter the electrical resistance. In this way, the amount of heat energy for a given level of power supplied to the vaporiser for a given puff duration can be varied up or down to ensure that the aerosol mass produced by the vaporiser in that puff generated from the first liquid is substantially the same as the aerosol mass produced by the specified vaporiser in an equivalent puff generated from the specified liquid.
If the first liquid has a lower rate of vaporisation or a higher vaporisation temperature than the specified liquid, the vaporiser may be modified by increasing its resistance. This will cause the vaporiser to output more heat energy so that the first liquid is heated and vaporised more rapidly and the aerosol mass produced in a puff of given duration is increased. If the first liquid has a higher rate of vaporisation or a lower vaporisation temperature than the specified liquid, the vaporiser may be modified by decreasing its resistance. This will cause the vaporiser to output less heat energy so the first liquid is heated and vaporised less rapidly and the aerosol mass produced in a puff of given duration is decreased. Hence, the aerosol mass per puff can be adjusted up or down to match the first liquid to the specified liquid, and thereby compensate for differences in vaporisation behaviour.
The electrical resistance R of a resistor, such as an electrical heating element, is given by R = ρ I / A, where ρ is the electrical resistivity of the material from which the resistor is made (and indicates the ability of that material to resist the flow of electrical current), I is the length of the resistor, and A is the cross-sectional area of the resistor.
Hence, the three variables of electrical resistivity, length and cross-sectional area are available for modifying a vaporiser to give it a different electrical resistance and hence heat energy output compared to the specified vaporiser.
If a vaporiser comprises an electrical heating element, the electrical heating element may be connected directly to receive the electrical power supplied from the battery under control of the controller, or distinct electrical connections may be provided between the electrical heating element and the battery. In the latter case, if the electrical connections and the electrical heating element are together considered to comprise the vaporiser, both the electrical connections and the heating element are available for modification of the vaporiser's electrical resistance. In the former case, the electrical heating element alone is available for modification of the vaporiser's electrical resistance. Hence, in some examples the electrical heating element has a different electrical resistance from the electrical resistance of the electrical heating element in the specified vaporiser configuration to provide the modification. In other examples, electrical connections of the electrical heating element may have a different electrical resistance from the electrical resistance of electrical connections of the electrical heating element in the specified vaporiser configuration to provide the modification. In still other examples, the overall design or configuration of the vaporiser may differ from the specified configuration in order to achieve a different electrical resistance. For example, one of the vaporiser and the specified vaporiser may include distinct electrical connections, while in the other, distinct electrical connections are omitted.
A common configuration for an electrical heating element of a vaporiser in an aerosol provision system is a wire coil, formed by winding conductive metallic wire into a helix or spiral shape. The coil may be wound around a generally cylindrical wick formed from a bundle of fibres or a rod of a porous material such as porous ceramic, for example. These examples are not limiting, however. A heating element structured as a coil may be readily modified to alter its electrical resistance in order to change its heat energy output as described above. The material from which the wire is made that is formed into the coil may be varied, for example. Metals and metal alloys can vary significantly in their electrical resistivity, so can be selected accordingly, although various metallic materials are more or less suitable for use in forming vaporisers as the skilled person is aware. An example material which is widely used is nickel-chromium alloy, or NiCr, a family of alloys which can be formed from different proportions of nickel and chromium, providing a way to adjust resistance by varying the alloy composition. Other metals are not excluded, however.
Resistance of a wire coil may also be modified by changing the thickness or diameter of the wire. This changes the cross-sectional area A of the heating element, which as explained above, will alter the electrical resistance. A thicker wire provides a large cross-sectional area and a lower electrical resistance, and a thinner wire provides a smaller cross-section area and a higher electrical resistance.
The length I of the heating element can also be changed to modify the electrical resistance, again as explained above.
Figure 6A shows a simplified schematic side view of an example wire coil electrical heating element vaporiser (in which the wick, and connection to the battery are omitted for clarity). In this example, the coil 42 has an overall spatial length L, and comprises five loops or turns of wire with a pitch or spacing s. The actual length I of wire, which determines the electrical resistance, is around all the spiral path of the loops, and is therefore greater than the spatial length L. This may the specified vaporiser configuration, for example. The wire length I can be readily increased or decreased to increase or decrease the electrical resistance of the heating element by increasing or decreasing the number of loops. This can be done in alternative ways. A first way is to change the spacing s of the loops. This may be useful in that the spatial length L of the heating element can be kept the same as that of the specified configuration, so that the modified heating element can be readily installed in an aerosol provision system without the need for other design changes. Figure 6B shows a coil heating element 42 with a same spatial length L as the specified design, but having a decreased spacing s' between the coil loops. This allows more loops to be accommodated with the spatial length L, in this case 8, so that the wire length I is increased, and the resistance of the heating element is modified upwards. Similarly, if the spacing between the coil loops is increased, fewer loops can be accommodated in the spatial length L, the wire length I is decreased and the resistance of the heating element is modified downwards.
A second way to modify the wire length is to keep the spacing s the same as in the specified configuration, and to alter the spatial length L of the heating element to accommodate more or fewer loops of wire. This may be preferred if it is found that a wider or closer loop spacing has an unwanted effect on vaporisation (since the heat energy density delivered to the wick will be changed), but it will be necessary to ensure that different spatial sizes of heating element can be installed in the specified aerosol provision system, with suitable adjustments being made if necessary. Figure 6C shows an example coil heating element 42 with the same coil spacing s as the specified design, and a reduced wire length I (and corresponding reduced electrical resistance) compared to the specified design, by reducing the number of loops and thereby giving a shorter spatial length L', less than L. Figure 6D shows an example coil heating element 42 with the same coil spacing s as the specified design, and an increased wire length I (and corresponding increased electrical resistance) compared to the specified design, by increasing the number of loops and thereby given a longer spatial length L", greater than L.
Figure 7A shows a simplified schematic example of a vaporiser comprising a heating element and distinct electrical connections for electrically coupling the heating element to the battery (not shown) of the aerosol provision system. The electrical heating element 44 is shown schematically only and may take a wire coil form as in the Figures 6A-6D examples, or may have an alternate format as will be apparent to the skilled person. Two electrical connections 45 are provided, conductively coupled to opposite ends of the electrical heating element 45 to enable current flow through the electrical heating element under the supply of power from the battery, and shown as being substantially straight. The electrical connections may be wires, stamped metal shapes, printed conductive traces or any other arrangement apparent to the skilled person. The vaporiser has a spatial dimension H (which can be thought of as height for convenience) and may be considered as the specified vaporiser configuration.
As noted above, an option for modifying electrical resistance of a vaporiser is to modify the electrical resistance of electrical connections 45 of an electrical heating element 44. As with the wire coil examples, electrical resistance of the electrical connections 45 can be altered by using a different electrically conductive material that has a different electrical resistivity ρ. Similarly, the electrical resistance of the electrical connections 45 can be altered by changing the cross-sectional area A of the electrical connections 45, such as be using a thinner or thicker wire. In other examples, the length of one or both of the electrical connections 45 may be altered to modify the electrical resistance of the vaporiser.
Figure 7B shows an example of a vaporiser modified compared to the specified vaporiser of Figure 7A by increasing the length of the electrical connections 45 so as to increase the electrical resistance. In order to maintain the spatial height H of the vaporiser to be the same as that for the specified vaporiser so that the modified vaporiser can be more easily used in an aerosol provision system without the need for other design changes, in this example the electrical connections 45 have shaped portions which may be bends, angles, curves or coils introduced within the length I of the electrical connections 45 while the overall spatial length (end-to-end separation) of the electrical connections is kept the same. Figure 7C shows an alternative example in which the length I of the electrical connections 45 is increased; in this example the electrical connections 45 are kept straight so that the spatial height H' of the vaporiser is increased to greater than the height H of the specified configuration. Conversely, Figure 7D shows an example in which the length I of the electrical connections 45 is reduced to provide a lower electrical resistance. The electrical connections are straight, giving a spatial height of the vaporiser H" which is decreased to less than the height H of the specified configuration.
Figures 8A and 8B show simplified schematic representations of example vaporisers according to another example. As with the Figures 7A - 7D examples, it is proposed that the electrical resistance of the vaporisers is modified by changing the resistance offered in the electrical connections 45 of the electrical heating element 45. In this example, however, one or more separate resistors or resistive elements (a single element being shown for simplicity) be included within one or both of the electrical connections 45. Figure 8A shows a first resistive element 46 having a first value of resistance R, and Figure 8B shows a second resistive element 46' having a second value of resistance R' which is different from R. The resistive elements may be conventional electrical resistors which are readily available with a wide range of resistance values, or may be an inserted portion of an electrical conductor of a different material, length and/or thickness.
As noted above, a variety of different formats are commonly employed to implement the heating effect in a vaporiser of an aerosol provision system. An example is a conductive mesh or grid or similar, configured to perform both as an electrical heating element and to provide a wicking or capillary function to draw liquid from the reservoir to be heated and vaporised. This functionality can be provided by any configuration which is both conductive and porous, although in terms of shape such a vaporous is commonly planar to enable ready escape of vapour into the air flow path. Examples include a woven structure of metallic wires, a planar element formed from sintered or welded metallic wires, and a perforated metal sheet.
Figure 9A shows a simplified plan view of a first example vaporiser of this type. The planar element 48 has an elongate rectangular shape and is shown with fine cross-hatching to indicate a first structure offering a first value of electrical resistance R. Electrical connections are omitted for simplicity, but are typically located at opposite ends of the elongate shape to provide a long electrical current path to maximise resistance and therefore also the heating effect, for efficient vaporisation. Figure 9B shows a simplified plan view of a second example vaporiser of this type, with a coarser cross-hatching to indicate a second structure offering a second value of electrical resistance R' which is different from R. The resistance may be modified in a variety of ways by changing the structure of the element. Different conductive materials may be used. The size of the pores in the porous structure may be changed to offer a different total amount of conductive material in order to change the cross-sectional area of the current path. The thickness of wire used to make the porous structure may be changed. Alternatively, if it is convenient that the external dimensions of the planar element be altered, its overall length or width can be changed, to change the overall resistor length or cross-sectional area.
The various techniques for modifying the resistance of a vaporiser described above may be used alone or in combination, as will be apparent to the skilled person. Moreover, other approaches not described in detail but offering the same effect are not excluded.
Figure 10 shows a flow chart of steps in an example method for estimating a liquid amount in an aerosol provision system, generally in line with features of the preceding disclosure. The method may be performed by a controller comprised within an aerosol provision system, such as within a device component of an aerosol provision system that can be coupled to a cartridge or pod component to form the complete aerosol provision system. In a first step S1, a power level value is obtained, being a level of power which is applied a vaporiser of the aerosol provision system during a puff taken by a user of the aerosol provision system. The vaporiser operates under the supply of electrical power to generate aerosol for the puff by vaporising liquid from the reservoir. In this example, liquid in the reservoir is a first liquid type. The aerosol provision system includes a modification compared to a specified aerosol provision system that vaporises liquid of a specified type which is different from the first liquid type. The modification is implemented to compensate for a difference in vaporisation behaviour between the liquid of the first type and the liquid of the specified type. Specifically, the modification comprises a difference in the configuration of the vaporiser of the aerosol provision system compared to a configuration of a specified vaporiser in the specified aerosol provision system. The modification causes the vaporiser to deliver a different amount of heat energy for vaporising the first liquid. In a second step S2 (noting that steps S1 and S2 may be reversed in order or carried out simultaneously), a puff duration value is obtained, being a duration of the puff for which the power at the obtained power level value has been applied to the vaporiser. Once the power level value and the puff duration value have been obtained, the method proceeds to step S3, in which a mass of aerosol in the puff is determined from the power level value and the puff duration value. The mass of aerosol is determined using an equation relating power level and puff duration to mass of aerosol which is a function fitted to empirical data from measurements of mass of aerosol generated during puffs of known puff duration value at known power level value previously made on a population of aerosol provision systems with the specified configuration of vaporiser and vaporising the specified liquid type. Once the mass of aerosol in the puff has been determined, the method proceeds to step S4, in which an estimation is made of an amount of liquid in the reservoir, using the determined mass of aerosol and a known amount of liquid that was in the reservoir prior to the puff.
In conclusion, in order to address various issues and advance the art, this disclosure shows by way of illustration various embodiments in which the claimed invention(s) may be practiced. The advantages and features of the disclosure are of a representative sample of embodiments only, and are not exhaustive and/or exclusive. They are presented only to assist in understanding and to teach the claimed invention(s). It is to be understood that advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and/or other aspects of the disclosure are not to be considered limitations on the disclosure as defined by the claims or limitations on equivalents to the claims, and that other embodiments may be utilised and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claims. Various embodiments may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of, various combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc. other than those specifically described herein. The disclosure may include other inventions not presently claimed, but which may be claimed in future.

Claims

An aerosol provision system comprising:
a reservoir holding liquid to be vaporised, the liquid being of a first liquid type;

a vaporiser for vaporising liquid from the reservoir; and

a controller configured to:
determine a mass of aerosol generated by the vaporiser during a puff taken by a user, from a power level value indicating a level of power supplied to the vaporiser during the puff and a puff duration value indicating a duration of the puff, and using an equation relating power level and puff duration to mass of aerosol for an aerosol provision system with a specified configuration of vaporiser and with liquid of a specified liquid type different from the first liquid type; and

estimate an amount of liquid in the reservoir after the puff by using the determined mass of aerosol and a known amount of liquid in the reservoir prior to the puff;

wherein the vaporiser is modified compared to the specified configuration in order to deliver a different amount of heat energy for vaporising the liquid from the level of power supplied and thereby compensate for a difference in vaporisation behaviour of the first liquid type compared to the specified liquid type.
An aerosol provision system according to claim 1, wherein the different amount of heat energy is selected such that a mass of aerosol generated by the vaporiser in a puff having a given puff duration value and a given power level value using the first liquid is the same as the mass of aerosol determined using the equation with the given puff duration value and the given power level value.
An aerosol provision system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the vaporiser is modified by having a different electrical resistance from the specified configuration.
An aerosol provision system according to any preceding claim, wherein the vaporiser comprises an electrical heating element.
An aerosol provision system according to claim 4, wherein the electrical heating element has a different electrical resistance from the specified configuration.
An aerosol provision system according to claim 4, wherein one or more electrical connections of the electrical heating element have a different electrical resistance from the specified configuration.
An aerosol provision system according to claim 4, comprising one or more resistors in series with the electrical heating element and having a different electrical resistance from the specified configuration.
An aerosol provision system according to any preceding claim, wherein the equation has been obtained by fitting to empirical data from measurements of mass of aerosol generated during puffs with known puff duration value and known power level value made on a population of aerosol provision systems with the specified configuration of vaporiser and with liquid of the specified liquid type.
An aerosol provision system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the equation is obtained by linear fitting to the empirical data.
An aerosol provision system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the equation is obtained by nonlinear fitting to the empirical data.
An aerosol provision system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the controller stores the equation, and is configured to determine the mass of aerosol for the puff by calculating the mass of aerosol using the equation.
An aerosol provision system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the controller stores a look-up table constructed using the equation which maps power level values or ranges of power level values and puff duration values or ranges of puff duration vales to mass of aerosol values, and is configured to determine the mass of aerosol for a puff using the look-up table.
An aerosol provision system according to any preceding claim, wherein the controller is further configured to obtain the power level value and the puff duration value.
An aerosol provision system according to any preceding claim, further comprising an indicator for indicating to the user an amount of liquid in the reservoir, wherein the controller is configured to operate the indicator to indicate the estimated amount of liquid in the reservoir.
A method for estimating a liquid amount in an aerosol provision system, the method comprising:
obtaining a power level value indicating a level of power applied to a vaporiser of the aerosol provision system during a puff taken by a user, the vaporiser configured to generate aerosol by vaporising liquid from a reservoir of the aerosol provision system, the reservoir holding liquid of a first liquid type;

obtaining a puff duration value indicating a duration of the puff;

determining a mass of aerosol generated by the vaporiser during the puff, from the power level value and the puff duration value, using an equation relating power level and puff duration to mass of aerosol for an aerosol provision system or cartridge therefor with a specified configuration of vaporiser and with liquid of a specified liquid type different from the first liquid type; and

estimating an amount of liquid in the reservoir after the puff by using the determined mass of aerosol and a known amount of liquid in the reservoir prior to the puff;

wherein the vaporiser has been modified compared to the specified configuration in order to deliver a different amount of heat energy for vaporising the liquid from the level of power supplied and thereby compensate for a difference in vaporisation behaviour of the first liquid type compared to the specified liquid type.