DUAL-PURPOSE HEATER AND FLUID FLOW MEASUREMENT SYSTEM

A control system for use in a fluid flow application includes a heater and a control device. The heater has at least one resistive heating element and the heater is operable to heat fluid. The control device determines at least one flow characteristic of a fluid flow based on a heat loss of the at least one resistive heating element and determines a mass flow rate of the fluid based on the at least one flow characteristic and a property of the at least one resistive heating element. And the property of the at least one resistive heating element includes a change in resistance of the at least one resistive heating element under a given heat flux density.