Thermal Effusivity and Transient Measurement, Control Systems, and Simulations
An advanced thermesthesiometer has been developed to measure the heat flux, touch-force, and internal temperature profile of multiple test surfaces under transient conditions. Through automation and control, this instrument aims to quantify the potential for thermal hazards in correlation with human subjective testing and industrial environmental safety. While heated materials can dissipate a significant amount of heat, it is not always possible to theoretically predict the effusivity of the material as most materials are often composed of complex composite shells or housed in materials that vary in surface texture. In this study, various several materials are thermally regulated using a programmable logic controller (PLC) and PID algorithms.