Adaptive heat flow calorimeter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9739670-B2
Application number	US-201414539241-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 12, 2014
Priority date	Aug 11, 2014
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are provided for providing flexible and repairable testing capabilities for systems that generate or absorb heat such as energy storage systems. One embodiment can include a temperature bath structure adapted to contain and maintain a fluid bath at a predetermined temperature, an outer containment structure adapted to insert into the temperature bath structure, heat sinks, thermal sensor assemblies, and an internal containment structure where the thermal sensor assemblies and heat sinks removeably attach to different sections of the inner containment structure so as to measure heat flow into or out of the inner containment structure's different sections. Embodiments of the invention enable rapid insertion/removal of samples as well as replacement of sections of the system including embodiments or parts of thermal sensor assemblies as well as enabling separate thermal measurements associated with different sections of a sample under test within the inner containment structure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A testing system comprising:
a temperature calibration bath structure having an interior section adapted to contain and thermally control a thermally conductive fluid, wherein said calibration bath is adapted to accept or donate thermal energy;
an outer containment structure formed to fit within said interior section and be disposed within said fluid, said outer containment structure is further formed having a plurality of outer containment structure sections comprising sides, a top and a bottom, wherein at least one section is selectively removable or operable to permit access to an interior section of said outer containment structure, wherein said outer containment structure is formed so as to prevent said liquid from passing into said interior section, said outer containment structure is formed from heat conductive material;
a plurality of heat sinks having a first side and an opposing second side, wherein said first side is facing said outer containment structure, wherein each said heat sink is thermally coupled along thermal conductive paths along a plurality of lateral axis where one of each said plurality of lateral axis passes respectively through each of said heat sinks extending orthogonally away from a vertical axis through a center of said outer containment structure that is parallel to at least one side of said outer containment structure, wherein each of said plurality of heat sinks are thermally isolated from adjacent said heat sinks that are not along said respective plurality of lateral axis;
a plurality of thermal sensor assemblies having a first and second side, each of said plurality of sensor assemblies are respectively thermally and removably coupled on said first side to the second side of said heat sinks, wherein each of said thermal sensor assemblies is physically separated from each other, wherein each of said sensor assemblies comprises a first and second heat sink wall section and a plurality of thermopiles, wherein said first and second heat sink wall sections are thermally separated by said thermopiles to form a thermoconductive path through each said thermopile;
an inner containment structure operable to removably receive a sample for thermal testing, wherein said inner containment structure comprises a plurality of wall sections including lateral sides, a top side and a bottom side, as well as a plurality of thermal isolation barriers, one of said plurality of thermal isolation barriers are each disposed between areas of said wall sections that couple with each other so as to thermally isolate each said wall section from another adjacent wall section, wherein each of said wall sections are selectively and removably coupled together with thermally non-conductive fasteners such as non-conductive screws formed to screw through a face of a wall section, through said respective thermal barrier, and into an edge of an adjacent wall section in contact with the adjacent wall section, wherein said plurality of thermal sensor assemblies are respectively thermally and removably coupled to said wall sections of said inner containment structure, wherein said plurality of thermal sensor assemblies are formed so as their heat sink wall sections are substantially of the same length and width of respective surfaces of said inner containment wall sections they are facing.

2. The testing system of claim 1 wherein said temperature calibration bath further comprises a stirrer or pump operable to circulate said fluid to facilitate a desired temperature of said fluid.

3. The testing system of claim 1 wherein said temperature calibration bath further comprises a temperature control mechanism comprising an integrated heater in a bottom plate of said temperature calibration bath and a cooling element at the top of said temperature calibration bath.

4. The testing system of claim 1 wherein each of said thermopile sensor assemblies output separate measurement data to measure heat flow from respective faces of said sample oriented towards a respective wall section facing said sample, wherein said thermopile assemblies comprise thermopiles arranged as parallel thermal pathways but electrically connected in series to sum and amplify a generated signal from said thermopiles.

5. The testing system of claim 1 wherein said thermopile sensor assemblies output separate measurements to independently measure heat flow from each side of said inner containment structure, wherein said thermopile assemblies comprise thermopiles arranged as parallel thermal pathways but electrically connected in series to sum and amplify a generated signal from said thermopiles.

6. The testing system of claim 1 wherein at least one sensor assembly further comprises a non-heat conductive bolt that goes through said first and second heat sink wall sections and attaching to said inner containment structure so as to thermally couple said at least one sensor assembly to said inner containment structure.

7. The testing system of claim 1 wherein at least one sensor assembly further comprises a spacer adapted to prevent contact between said first and second heat sink wall section and thereby permit thermal energy to only pass between said heat sink wall sections through one or more said thermopiles disposed therebetween.

8. The testing system of claim 7 wherein said spacer is made from a non-thermally conductive material.

Assignees

• Us Navy

Inventors

• Ubelhor Ryan
• Ellison Daniel
• Pierce Cecilia

Classifications

• G01K17/00

  Measuring quantity of heat (measuring temperature by calorimetry G01K3/00 - G01K11/00; specially adapted for measuring thermal properties of materials, e.g. specific heat, heat of combustion G01N) · CPC title

• G01K19/00 Primary

  Testing or calibrating calorimeters · CPC title

• G01N25/20

  by investigating the development of heat, i.e. calorimetry, e.g. by measuring specific heat, by measuring thermal conductivity (calorimeters per se G01K) · CPC title