Heat flow is the measure of energy transfer caused by a temperature difference, which leads to temperature equalization between materials. For example, in poorly insulated building facades or pipes, heat flow and thus energy loss is particularly high. This results in increased energy consumption, higher costs, and environmental pollution.
The new research project addresses the development and manufacture of a novel heat flow sensor that is based on a fundamentally different technological approach than solutions already on the market. Commercial sensors are based on the Seebeck effect and have a relatively modest output signal with an electrical sensitivity of, for example, 1.5 μV/(W/m2).
The new development uses a design that allows significantly better performance in terms of signal amplitude compared to conventional sensors and is considerably cheaper to manufacture. In addition, the absolute temperature can also be determined.
The research and development work described is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) as part of the Thermistor-HFS research project.
Funding code: 49MF240001
