Heat Flux Sensors

In-situ heat flux measurements for micro-pin-fin heat sinks are extremely important for performance modeling and optimization but notoriously difficult to obtain. My master’s thesis research focused on design, fabrication and testing of a nickel-based 4-wire resistance temperature detector (RTD) heat flux sensor on an individual copper pin. The sensor was to be used for heat transfer studies within a micro-pin-fin heat sink (collaboration with the University of Hawaii at Manoa). As the research assistant on the project, I performed all stages of development. Sensor design included signal sensitivity analysis and heat transfer modeling in Matlab. Fabrication of the sensors included bulk copper substrate preparation and traditional micro-lithography techniques. Machining of the 3D pin structure and device segmentation was performed using micro-end-milling. Heat flux testing and calibration utilized an Nd-YAG laser with specialized data acquisition system acquired for the project.

For more information, please see the following publication: Thin film heat flux sensors fabricated on copper substrates for thermal measurements in microfluidic environments