Higher-time derivative of in-depth temperature sensors for aerospace heat transfer

Abstract This paper presents a novel sensor that delivers higher-time derivatives of temperature in combination with a thermocouple calibration curve. This highly attractive quantity has been demonstrate to be of critical importance for acquiring both stable and accurate surface and in-depth heat fluxes, predicting sudden changes in surface heat fluxes without inverse analysis, and predicting the future temperature in a thermal control environment. This paper outlines the motivation for developing such a sensor, presents the salient and poignant features of the initial design and processes required for arriving at the sensor while incurring minimal component delay times. Finally, preliminary predictions are presented using an experimental thermocouple drop facility that allows for comparison with an analytic model. The presented results are highly encouraging for stability, accuracy and repeatability.