GB2218261A - Thermoelectric device - Google Patents

Thermoelectric device Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2218261A
GB2218261A GB8910014A GB8910014A GB2218261A GB 2218261 A GB2218261 A GB 2218261A GB 8910014 A GB8910014 A GB 8910014A GB 8910014 A GB8910014 A GB 8910014A GB 2218261 A GB2218261 A GB 2218261A
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United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
substrate
sensor according
metals
sensor
alternate
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
GB8910014A
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GB8910014D0 (en
GB2218261B (en
Inventor
Maurice Lionel Apthorp
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Individual
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Individual
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Publication of GB8910014D0 publication Critical patent/GB8910014D0/en
Publication of GB2218261A publication Critical patent/GB2218261A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2218261B publication Critical patent/GB2218261B/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • GPHYSICS
    • G01MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01KMEASURING TEMPERATURE; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G01K17/00Measuring quantity of heat
    • G01K17/06Measuring quantity of heat conveyed by flowing media, e.g. in heating systems e.g. the quantity of heat in a transporting medium, delivered to or consumed in an expenditure device
    • G01K17/08Measuring quantity of heat conveyed by flowing media, e.g. in heating systems e.g. the quantity of heat in a transporting medium, delivered to or consumed in an expenditure device based upon measurement of temperature difference or of a temperature
    • G01K17/20Measuring quantity of heat conveyed by flowing media, e.g. in heating systems e.g. the quantity of heat in a transporting medium, delivered to or consumed in an expenditure device based upon measurement of temperature difference or of a temperature across a radiating surface, combined with ascertainment of the heat transmission coefficient
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H10SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10NELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10N10/00Thermoelectric devices comprising a junction of dissimilar materials, i.e. devices exhibiting Seebeck or Peltier effects
    • H10N10/10Thermoelectric devices comprising a junction of dissimilar materials, i.e. devices exhibiting Seebeck or Peltier effects operating with only the Peltier or Seebeck effects
    • H10N10/17Thermoelectric devices comprising a junction of dissimilar materials, i.e. devices exhibiting Seebeck or Peltier effects operating with only the Peltier or Seebeck effects characterised by the structure or configuration of the cell or thermocouple forming the device
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H10SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10NELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10N10/00Thermoelectric devices comprising a junction of dissimilar materials, i.e. devices exhibiting Seebeck or Peltier effects
    • H10N10/80Constructional details
    • H10N10/81Structural details of the junction
    • H10N10/817Structural details of the junction the junction being non-separable, e.g. being cemented, sintered or soldered
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H10SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10NELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10N10/00Thermoelectric devices comprising a junction of dissimilar materials, i.e. devices exhibiting Seebeck or Peltier effects
    • H10N10/80Constructional details
    • H10N10/85Thermoelectric active materials
    • H10N10/851Thermoelectric active materials comprising inorganic compositions
    • H10N10/854Thermoelectric active materials comprising inorganic compositions comprising only metals

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Inorganic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Measuring Temperature Or Quantity Of Heat (AREA)

Abstract

A heat flow sensor 11 comprises a non-conductive substrate 12 with a plurality of generally regularly spaced feed through holes 13 therein providing feed-through tracks for two different metals 14, 16 the arrangement being such that alternate functions 23, 27 of the metals 14, 16 are provided on both sides of the substrate 12, allowing the temperature difference across the substrate 12 to be measured using the thermo-electric effect. <IMAGE>

Description

HEAT FLOW SENSOR This invention relates to heat flow sensors.
Conventional heat flow sensors comprise a substrate onto which a themopile arrangement is provided to measure the temperature difference across the thermopile. Knowing the thickness and thermal conductivity of the substrate, together with the measured temperature difference across the substrate, the heat flow through the substrate can be measured directly. The substrate of the heat flow sensor is preferably made thin, so that the substrate itself has a low thermal impedance to reduce any disturbance to the heat flow being measured, and so that the temperature difference across the substrate changes rapidly in response to a change in heat flow.
The disadvantage of using thin substrates is that the temperature difference across the substrate is very small, so that many junctions are required for the thermopile arrangement to increase the sensitivity of the sensor to give a larger voltage output from the thermopile. The cost of manufacture of the heat flow sensor is dependent upon the number of junctions required, increasing with the sensitivity of the sensor.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a heat flow sensor which is relatively easy to manufacture.
According to the present invention there is provided a heat flow sensor comprising a non-conductive substrate with a plurality of generally regularly spaced feed through holes therein, providing feed-through tracks for two different metals, the arrangement being such that alternate junctions of the metals are provided on both sides of the substrate, allowing the temperature difference across the substrate to be measured using the thermo-electric effect.
The substrate is preferably between 5mm and 0.5mm in thickness.
The substrate is preferably made from a printed circuit board, pcb, epoxy (trade mark) laminate. The substrate may also be made from any suitable non conducting material such as ceramic, alumina or an enamelled substance. The area of the substrate is preferably between 3cm squared and locum squared.
The substrate may further comprise either rigid or flexible pcb materials or other insulators using plated through hole pcb manufacturing techniques. Variations include: polymer thick film on pcb laminate,~ polymer thick film on other materials; cermet thick film on alumina; cermat thick film on porcelain enamelled steel; cermet thick film on glass; cermet thick film on other materials; plated through hole pcb techniques on rigid boards; plated through hole pcb techniques on flexible substrates; and plated through hole pcb techniques on other materials.
Most of these techniques, including the polymer thick film, enable multiple sensors to be manufactured on one blank substrate, with typically fifty sensors per blank.
The two different metals are preferably laid down using silk screen printing, to a thickness of between 20 and 40 microns.
Alternatively electroplating may be used, with an initial seed layer for the metal being formed by evaporation, sputtering or electroless deposition. The two different metals are preferably nickel and silver. Alternatively chromium and aluminium can be used, or any other suitable combination of metals giving a large thermo-electric effect.
The junctions are preferably arranged so that alternate junctions are sequentially formed on alternate surfaces of the substrate, enabling alternate junctions to be at different temperatures, so that the total series voltage output from the junctions is directly proportional to the temperature difference. The junctions are preferably arranged in a pattern on the substrate that reduces electromagnetic interference effects.
The output from the junctions is preferably fed to an integrated amplifier laid down on the substrate by connections also laid down on the substrate.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of fabricating a heat flow sensor, comprising forming generally regularly spaced apart holes in a non-conductive substrate, applying two different metals to both surfaces of the substrate by a silk screen process or any other suitable process, such that alternate holes provide conductive feed through holes for one or other of the metals, and such that junctions are formed between the metals on alternate sides of the substrate.
An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view through a substrate; Figure 2 is cross-sectional view through a heat flow sensor, according to the invention; Figures 3 to 7 are a series of cross-sectional views of a substrate in a process of construction; Figure 8 is a representation of the electrical path through a sensor; Figure 9 is a plan view of the heat flow sensor of Figure 2; and Figure 10 is a side view of the heat flow sensor of Figure 2.
Figure 1 illustrates the principle of heat flow sensors in which heat represented by the arrows flows through a solid material 10 of thickness, L, causing a temperature difference across the solid of, T1-T2. Knowing the thermal conductivity, G, of the solid 10, and measuring the temperature difference gives the heat flow in watts per square metre as: Heat Flow=(Tl-T2).#/L N Figure 2 shows a heat flow sensor 11 in cross-section. The sensor 11 comprises a substrate 12 made from a pcb laminate, with holes 13 formed therein. Each alternate hole 13 is coated on its inside with either silver 14 shown in shaded cross-hatching or nickel 16. On the surfaces 17,18 of the substrate 12 the silver 14 and nickel 16 touch one another to form an electrical contact on alternate surfaces of the substrate 12.
Figures 3 to 7 show a process for fabricating the heat flow sensor of Fgure 2. In Figure 3 regularly spaced apart holes are drilled in the substrate 12. In Figure 4, the substrate is held under vacuum onto a silk screen printing base (not shown). A silk screen printing mask (not shown) is then placed over the surface 17 and a silver based polymer ink 19 is scrapped over the mask to form the pattern of ink 19 shown in Figure 4, with a short track 20 extending from each alternate hole 13a on the surface 17. The suction on the substrate 12 from the vacuum causes the polymer ink 19 to be drawn down through alternate holes 13a to allow the formation of a conductive feed through path from surface 17 to surface 18. The substrate is then placed in an oven (not shown) for curing the ink 19 at an elevated temperature of about 150 degrees celsius, to form part of the silver coating 14.In Figure 5, the process of Figure 4 is repeated on surface 17 using a second mask with a nickel based polymer ink 21. The second mask (not shown) used causes the rest of the holes 13b to be coated inside with ink 21 with a short track 22 extending from each hole hole 13b toward each short silver track 20, to form a junction 23. The nickel based polymer ink 21 is then cured as before so that each junction 23 between the silver 14 and nickel 16 forms an electrical contact 23.
In Figure 6, the process of Figure 4 is repeated using a third mask to form silver tracks 24 on surface 18, in which each track 24 extends from each feed through hole 13a in the opposite direction to the tracks 20. In Figure 7, a fourth mask is used to form nickel tracks 26 on the surface 18 and to form electrical contacts 27 with the silver tracks 24.
Figure 8 illustrates the electrical path through the holes 13 and along the surfaces 17,18, with alternate contacts 23,27 between the silver 14 and nickel 16, to form a thermopile arrangement.
Figures 9 and 10 show the heat flow sensor 11, which is about 25mmx50mm in area. The active heat flow measuring part of the sensor 11 is shown on the left-hand side which is about 25mmx25mm in area. Four hundred holes 13 are drilled in the pcb substrate 12 which is about 1.lem thick, and the silver 14 and nickel 16 coatings are laid down in a pattern which reduces electromagnetic interference as show in Figure 9. The dotted lines between the holes 13 represent the silver 14 and nickel 16 tracks underneath the substrate on surface 18. The second mask used in the process of Figure 5 is also used to provide tracks for circuitry 28 used on the right-hand side of the substrate to amplify the voltage output 29 from the thermopile arrangement, which is about luV for a heat flow of lW/m2. The circuitry 28 includes a chopper stabilised amplifier 31 with temperature compensation (using a temperature dependent resistor) having a gain of between 100 and 1000, and other associated surface mounted components 32. The gain of the amplifier 31 may be adjusted to standardise the output sensitivity of each sensor 11. The circuitry 28 is surrounded on the substrate with a ground plane to reduce electromagnetic interference and the circuitry 28 is encapsulated in a non-conducting resin, which is also coated over the sensing part of the substrate 12, to protect it in use.
In use the described sensor 11 is able to detect temperature differences as small as 0.0025 degree celsius corresponding to a heat flow of 1 watt per square metre. This sensitivity enables the measurement of most heat flows found in the normal environment. The signal from the circuitry 28 is fed by the cable 33, which also supplies power to the circuitry 28, to a display on a digital volt meter oroto a data logger or computer.
The sensor 12 responds to changes in temperature within a second.
The sensor 12 is not only cheap and relatively easy to manufacture but it is robust as well. This gives it many areas of application including: measuring heat loss in buildings; teaching energy conservation courses; monitoring thermal insulation in say deep freezers; monitoring chemical processes, including exothermal reactions in storage silos; monitoring heat exchanger efficiency; medical applications, such as detecting tumours and monitoring them; and fire detection.
Finally, the sensor can be buried in an object to measure thermal conductivity directly. It can be attached to a surface to measure the heat flow at the surface but care is required to match the emissivity of sensor and surface. It can also measure electromagnetic radiation which falls upon its surface and is absorbed.

Claims (12)

CLAIMS:
1. A heat flow sensor comprising a non-conductive substrate with a plurality of generally regularly spaced feed through holes therein, providing feed-through tracks for two different metals, the arrangement being such that alternate junctions of the metals are provided on both sides of the substrate, allowing the temperature difference across the substrate to be measured using the thermo-electric effect.
2. A sensor according to claim 1, in which the substrate is between 5mm and 0.5mm in thickness.
3. A sensor according to claim 1 or 2, in which the substrate is made from a printed circuit board epoxy (trade mark) laminate.
4. A sensor according to claim 1 or 2, in which the substrate is made from ceramic.
5. A sensor according to any previous claim, in which the area of the substrate is between 3cm squared and locum squared.
6. A sensor according to any previous claim, in which the two different metals are laid down using silk screen printing, to a thickness of between 20 and 40 microns.
7. A sensor according to any previous claim, in which the two different metals are nickel and silver.
8. A sensor according to any of claims 1 to 6, in which the two metals are chromium and aluminium.
9. A sensor according to any previous claim, in which the junctions are arranged so that alternate junctions are sequentially formed on alternate surfaces of the substrate.
10. A sensor according to any previous claim, in which the output from the junctions is fed to an integrated amplifier laid down on the substrate by connections also laid down on the substrate.
11. A method of fabricating a heat flow sensor, comprising forming generally regularly spaced apart holes in a non-conductive substrate, applying two different metals to both surfaces of the substrate by a silk screen process or any other suitable process, such that alternate holes provide conductive feed through holes for one or other of the metals, and such that junctions are formed between the metals on alternate sides of the substrate.
12. A sensor and/or a method' of fabricating a sensor substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one or more of Figures 2 to 10 of the accompanying drawings.
GB8910014A 1988-04-29 1989-05-02 Heat flow sensor Expired - Lifetime GB2218261B (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB888810333A GB8810333D0 (en) 1988-04-29 1988-04-29 Thermal flow sensor

Publications (3)

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GB8910014D0 GB8910014D0 (en) 1989-06-21
GB2218261A true GB2218261A (en) 1989-11-08
GB2218261B GB2218261B (en) 1991-09-18

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GB8910014A Expired - Lifetime GB2218261B (en) 1988-04-29 1989-05-02 Heat flow sensor

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Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2664745A1 (en) * 1990-07-12 1992-01-17 Landis & Gyr Betriebs Ag Thermoelectric converter and method for manufacturing it
EP0801428A1 (en) * 1995-10-31 1997-10-15 Technova Inc. Thick-film thermoelectric element
EP1073126A2 (en) * 1999-07-26 2001-01-31 Berkin B.V. Method for manufacturing a thermopile on an electrically insulating substrate
EP1249878A2 (en) * 2001-03-15 2002-10-16 Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH Thermoelectric element and thermoelectric generator
WO2012098228A1 (en) * 2011-01-21 2012-07-26 Commissariat A L'energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives Device for measuring or determining a characteristic of a heat flow exchanged between a first medium and a second medium
WO2016128247A1 (en) 2015-02-09 2016-08-18 Greenteg Ag Thermoelectric sensor and production method
EP4283270A1 (en) * 2022-05-23 2023-11-29 ContiTech AG Thermocouple

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN112816103B (en) * 2021-02-05 2024-04-26 中国空气动力研究与发展中心超高速空气动力研究所 Hot wall heat flow sensor and testing method thereof

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3726100A (en) * 1967-10-31 1973-04-10 Asea Ab Thermoelectric apparatus composed of p-type and n-type semiconductor elements
US4343960A (en) * 1979-11-20 1982-08-10 Building Research Institute, Ministry Of Construction Thermopile and process for manufacturing same

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3726100A (en) * 1967-10-31 1973-04-10 Asea Ab Thermoelectric apparatus composed of p-type and n-type semiconductor elements
US4343960A (en) * 1979-11-20 1982-08-10 Building Research Institute, Ministry Of Construction Thermopile and process for manufacturing same

Cited By (16)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2664745A1 (en) * 1990-07-12 1992-01-17 Landis & Gyr Betriebs Ag Thermoelectric converter and method for manufacturing it
DE4110653A1 (en) * 1990-07-12 1992-01-23 Landis & Gyr Betriebs Ag Thermoelectric transducer with several thermoelement pairs - has first junction points with rows of first and second conductive material w.r.t. reference direction
EP0801428A1 (en) * 1995-10-31 1997-10-15 Technova Inc. Thick-film thermoelectric element
EP0801428A4 (en) * 1995-10-31 1999-02-10 Technova Inc Thick-film thermoelectric element
US6511860B1 (en) 1999-07-26 2003-01-28 Berkin, B.V. Method for manufacturing a thermopile on an electrically insulating substrate
NL1012709C2 (en) * 1999-07-26 2001-02-01 Berkin Bv Method for manufacturing a thermopile on an electrically insulating support.
EP1073126A3 (en) * 1999-07-26 2002-03-13 Berkin B.V. Method for manufacturing a thermopile on an electrically insulating substrate
EP1073126A2 (en) * 1999-07-26 2001-01-31 Berkin B.V. Method for manufacturing a thermopile on an electrically insulating substrate
US6713833B2 (en) 1999-07-26 2004-03-30 Berkin B.V. Thermopile on an electrical insulating substrate
EP1249878A2 (en) * 2001-03-15 2002-10-16 Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH Thermoelectric element and thermoelectric generator
EP1249878A3 (en) * 2001-03-15 2006-05-24 Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH Thermoelectric element and thermoelectric generator
WO2012098228A1 (en) * 2011-01-21 2012-07-26 Commissariat A L'energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives Device for measuring or determining a characteristic of a heat flow exchanged between a first medium and a second medium
FR2970778A1 (en) * 2011-01-21 2012-07-27 Commissariat Energie Atomique DEVICE FOR MEASURING OR DETERMINING A CHARACTERISTIC OF A THERMAL FLOW EXCHANGE BETWEEN A FIRST MEDIUM AND A SECOND MEDIUM
US9599522B2 (en) 2011-01-21 2017-03-21 Commissariat A L'energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives Device for measuring or evaluating a characteristic of a heat flux exchanged between a first medium and a second medium
WO2016128247A1 (en) 2015-02-09 2016-08-18 Greenteg Ag Thermoelectric sensor and production method
EP4283270A1 (en) * 2022-05-23 2023-11-29 ContiTech AG Thermocouple

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB8910014D0 (en) 1989-06-21
GB2218261B (en) 1991-09-18
GB8810333D0 (en) 1988-06-02

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PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 20020502