Heat Flow Measuring Apparatus with Diffusing Members
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heat flow measurement technologies face challenges in accurately measuring body temperature due to positional variations between heat sources and temperature sensors, leading to increased manufacturing costs and reduced wearability and usability, especially for long-term monitoring.
Innovation Solution
A heat flow measuring apparatus featuring an annular first heat diffusing member, a second heat diffusing member, and a heat transfer layer with varying thermal conductivities, which ensures uniform temperature distribution and reduces the influence of positional relationships between heat sources and sensors, enhancing measurement accuracy and wearability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple temperature sensors are mounted to compensate for positional relationship differences, then measurement accuracy is improved, but manufacturing cost and device size increase
Solution Approach 1:
A heat diffusing member is introduced as an intermediary between the heat source and the temperature sensor. This mediator uniformizes the temperature distribution, allowing a single temperature sensor to accurately measure temperature regardless of its positional relationship with the heat source, thereby eliminating the need for multiple sensors while maintaining measurement accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal conductivity parameter of the heat diffusing member is specifically designed to be higher than that of the surrounding structures. By changing this physical parameter, the heat diffusing member effectively redistributes heat flow, creating a uniform temperature field that enables accurate measurement with fewer sensors
2Measurement precision
If multiple temperature sensors are mounted to compensate for positional relationship differences, then measurement accuracy is improved, but wearability and usability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The heat diffusing member serves as a mediator that creates a uniform temperature distribution, enabling accurate temperature measurement with a single sensor. This reduces the number of components needed, making the measurement device smaller and more suitable for long-term wearable monitoring applications
3Speed
If heat is transferred directly from heat source to temperature sensor, then measurement response is fast, but measurement accuracy deteriorates due to positional irregularity
Solution Approach 1:
The heat diffusing member is positioned between the heat source and the temperature sensor, acting as a mediator that uniformizes temperature distribution. This allows the temperature sensor to measure the uniformized temperature after heat diffusion, eliminating measurement errors caused by positional irregularity while maintaining adequate measurement speed
Solution Approach 2:
The heat diffusing member creates a local uniform temperature field around the temperature sensor by redistributing heat from different positions. This local quality change ensures that the temperature measured by the sensor represents the overall heat source temperature rather than a position-dependent value
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The apparatus maintains uniform temperature over time, suppresses irregular heat transfer, and reduces the impact of positional relationships, enabling accurate and long-term heat flow and temperature measurements with improved wearability and usability.
Implementation Method 1
heat flow is measured using the transfer of heat from the first heat diffusing member to the second heat diffusing member through the heat transfer layer
Implementation Method 2
the heat diffusing effects cause the temperature of the first heat diffusing member or the second heat diffusing member to be uniform even when positional irregularity occurs in transferring heat
Data Source
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AI summary
A ring type heat flow measuring apparatus has a heat receiving section that comes into contact with a measurement target and receives heat and releases heat through transferring from a first heat diffusing member, a heat transfer layer, a second heat diffusing member, and a heat releasing section in this order. A first temperature sensor measures a temperature of the first heat diffusing member, a second temperature sensor measures a temperature of the second heat diffusing member, and heat flow is calculated using these temperatures. Heat diffusing effects of the first heat diffusing member and the second heat diffusing member enable highly accurate temperature measurement to be stably performed regardless of relative positions between an arterial blood vessel as a heat source and the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor.