Development of a Direct-Measurement Thin-Film Heat Flux Array

A new thin film heat flux array (HFA) was designed and constructed using a series of nickel/copper thermocouples deposited onto a thin Kapton ® polyimide film. The HFA is capable of withstanding temperatures up to 300 °C and produces signals of 42 μV/(W/cm2). As a result of its thin film construction, the HFA has a first order time constant of 32 ms. Calibrations were completed to determine the gage’s output as well as its time response. In order to measure the signal from the HFA amplifiers were designed to increase the magnitude of the voltage output. An example case is given where the HFA is used in an experiment to correlate time-resolved heat flux and velocities. iii Acknowledgments I would like to thank all of the members of my committee for their help and guidance throughout the duration of this project. Dr. Diller was the driving force behind all of the heat flux work. I want to thank him for giving me the opportunity to contribute first as an undergraduate and then during my Masters work and for his calming effect and soun