This practice establishes an experimental procedure for determining the sensitivity of heat flux transducers that are relatively thin. The term sensitivity in this practice refers to the ratio of HFT electrical output to heat flux through the HFT. The thickness of the HFT shall be less than 15 % of the narrowest planar dimension.
This practice establishes an experimental procedure for determining the sensitivity of heat flux transducers that are relatively thin. The term sensitivity in this practice refers to the ratio of HFT electrical output to heat flux through the HFT. The thickness of the HFT shall be less than 15 % of the narrowest planar dimension.
This practice establishes an experimental procedure for determining the sensitivity of heat flux transducers that are relatively thin. The term sensitivity in this practice refers to the ratio of HFT electrical output to heat flux through the HFT. The thickness of the HFT shall be less than 15 % of the narrowest planar dimension.
Calibrating Thin Heat Flux Transducers 1 This standard is issued under the xed designation C 1130; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval. 1. Scope 1.1 This practice establishes an experimental procedure for determining the sensitivity of heat ux transducers (HFTs) that are relatively thin. The term sensitivity in this practice refers to the ratio of HFT electrical output to heat ux through the HFT. 1.1.1 For the purpose of this standard, the thickness of the HFT shall be less than 15 % of the narrowest planar dimension of the HFT. 1.2 This practice discusses two methods for determining HFT sensitivity. The rst method is the calibration of the HFT in unperturbed heat ow normal to the surface of the HFT, while the second method is the sensitivity of the HFT in actual use, or the HFT conversion factor. 1.3 This practice should be used in conjunction with Prac- tice C 1041 when measuring in-situ heat ux and temperature on industrial insulation systems, and with Practice C 1046 when performing in-situ measurements of heat ux on opaque building components. 1.4 This practice is not intended to determine the sensitivity of HFTs that are components of heat ow meter apparatus, as in Test Method C 518. Refer to Practice C 1132 for this purpose. 1.5 The following safety caveat pertains only to the Speci- men Preparation and Procedure portions, Sections 5 and 6, of this practice: This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro- priate safety and health practices and determine the applica- bility of regulatory limitations prior to use. 2. Referenced Documents 2.1 ASTM Standards: C 168 Terminology Relating to Thermal Insulating 2 C 177 Test Method for Steady-State Heat Flux Measure- ments and Thermal Transmission Properties by Means of the Guarded-Hot-Plate Apparatus 2 C 236 Test Method for Steady-State Thermal Performance of Building Assemblies by Means of a Guarded Hot Box 2 C 335 Test Method for Steady-State Heat Transfer Proper- ties of Horizontal Pipe Insulation 2 C 518 Test Method for Steady-State Thermal Transmission Properties by Means of the Heat Flow Meter Apparatus 2 C 976 Test Method for Thermal Performance of Building Assemblies by Means of a Calibrated Hot Box 2 C 1041 Practice for In-Situ Measurements of Heat Flux in Industrial Thermal Insulation Using Heat Flux Transduc- ers 2 C 1044 Practice for Using the Guarded-Hot-Plate Apparatus or Thin-Heater Apparatus in the Single-Sided Mode 2 C 1046 Practice for In-Situ Measurement of Heat Flux and Temperature on Building Envelope Components 2 C 1114 Test Method for Steady-State Thermal Transmission Properties by Means of the Thin-Heater Apparatus 2 C 1132 Practice for Calibration of the Heat Flow Meter Apparatus 2 3. Terminology 3.1 DenitionsFor denitions of terms relating to thermal insulating materials, see Denitions C 168. 3.2 Denitions of Terms Specic to This Standard: 3.2.1 heat ux transducera device containing a thermo- pile (or equivalent) that produces an output which is a function of the heat ux passing through the HFT. 3.2.2 sensitivitythe ratio of the electrical output of the heat ux transducer to the heat ux passing through the HFT. The sensitivity of the HFT will be a function of the HFT temperature, the HFT construction, its curvature, and the method with which it is applied to the building component. 3.2.3 heat ux transducer calibration factorthe sensitiv- ity of the heat ux transducer when measured in an undisturbed one-dimensional temperature eld. 3.2.4 heat ux transducer conversion factorthe sensitivity of the heat ux transducer for the thermal conditions surround- ing the HFT in actual use. 3.2.4.1 The relationship between the heat ux transducer calibration and conversion factors is indicative of the magni- tude of the heat ux distortion created by the application of the HFT. 3.2.5 temperature elda set of temperatures, where each temperature is associated with a point or small domain of space in a region of interest. An example is the distribution of temperatures within a slab of insulation. 3.2.6 test stacka layer or a series of layers of material put 1 This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee C16 on Thermal Insulation and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee C16.30 on Thermal Measurement. Current edition approved June 29, 1990. Published August 1990. Originally published as C 1130 89. Last previous edition C 1130 89. 2 Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 04.06. 1 Copyright ASTM, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States. together to comprise a test sample (for example, a roof system containing a membrane, an insulation, and a roof deck). 3.3 Symbols: q = heat ux, W/m 2 [Btu/hft 2 ]. V = measured output voltage of the HFT, V 3 . S = sensitivity of the HFT, V/(W/m 2 ) [V/(Btu/hrft 2 )]. 4. Signicance and Use 4.1 The use of heat ux transducers on industrial equipment or building envelope components provides the user with a relatively simple means for performing in-situ heat ux mea- surements. Accurate translation of the heat ux transducer output requires a complete understanding of the factors affect- ing its output, and a standardized method for determining the HFT sensitivity for the application of interest. 4.2 The placement of an HFT in a temperature eld (see 3.2.5) will probably disturb that eld. If a disturbance in the temperature eld occurs when the HFT is applied, the user must account for that disturbance when determining the sensitivity of an HFT. 4.3 There are several methods for determining the sensitiv- ity of HFTs (see 6.1). The selection of the best procedure will depend on the required accuracy and the physical limitations of available equipment. 4.4 The presence of a heat ux transducer is likely to alter the heat ux that is being measured. This disturbance is difficult to predict without sufficient knowledge of the con- struction of the HFT and the thermal conductivities of both the HFT components and its surroundings. With such knowledge, analytical (1, 2) 4 and numerical (3, 4, 5) methods have been used to account for the disturbance in heat ux caused by the presence of an HFT. 4.5 If an HFT calibration factor is sought, the user of this standard must assure that parallel heat ow, normal to the HFT, is achieved. If the user wishes to obtain a conversion factor, then the user must account for the end-use conditions of the HFT, either by using an acceptable and veriable mathematical technique to correct the calibration factor, or by performing a series of experiments that adequately simulates the conditions of use to obtain the conversion factor empirically (6, 7, 8). 4.6 This practice describes techniques to establish uniform heat ow normal to the heat ux transducer for the determi- nation of the HFT calibration factor, or how to establish conditions that simulate those that the HFT will encounter when in use. 4.7 The method of HFT application must be adequately simulated or duplicated when experimentally determining the HFT sensitivity. The two most widely used application tech- niques are to surface-mount the HFT or to embed the HFT in the insulation system. 5. Specimen Preparation 5.1 Preparation of the HFT depends on which type of sensitivity is desired and the method of HFT application to be employed. 5.1.1 Three separate cases are discussed: the determination of the calibration factor and the measurement of the conversion factor for embedded and surface-mounted HFTs. 5.2 The HFT for which sensitivity is determined will measure the heat ux at the position of the HFT in the test stack. It is recommended that the HFT be installed near the metering side of the test instrument and in a relatively thin stack assembly to reduce the impact of edge effects. The thickness and thermal resistance of the test stack should be selected after considering its impact on the accuracy of the chosen test method. 5.3 Calibration factorThe HFT shall be embedded in a stack of materials and surrounded with a framing material or mask. Guarded-hot-plate and heat ow meter apparatuses (Test Method C 177 and C 518, respectively) have been successfully used for this purpose. 5.3.1 The sample stack used to determine the calibration factor of HFTs shall consist of a sandwich of the HFT/masking layer between two layers of a compressible homogeneous material, such as high-density berglass insulation board, to assure good thermal contact between the plates of the tester and the HFT/masking layer. The use of a thermally conductive gel is another technique to improve good thermal contact. 5.3.2 The mask used in determining the HFT calibration factor must have the same thickness and thermal resistance as the HFT. The matching of the mask and HFT is sensitive to the HFT size and on whether the HFT incorporates an intrinsic mask surrounding its active sensing area. An effective masking technique that has been employed for small sensors is to utilize other identical sensors as a mask. 5.4 Conversion factor, embeddedThe HFT shall be placed, in a fashion identical to its end use application, in a stack of materials duplicating the building construction to be evaluated. The instruments listed in 5.3 along with the thin- heater apparatus (see Test Method C 1114) have been used for this analysis. 5.5 Conversion factor, surface mountedThe HFT shall be applied in a manner identical to that of actual use to a homogeneous test panel or pipe insulation of similar thermal resistance, surface-layer thermal conductance, and orientation. Pipe tester (Test Method C 335), guarded-hot-box (Test Method C 236), and calibrated-hot-box (Test Method C 976) apparatuses have been used to perform these procedures. 5.5.1 The sample stack for use in determining HFT conver- sion factors shall comprise a sandwich of the same materials to be found in the construction to be analyzed. The HFT shall be placed in the same exact location as that in end use. For embedded applications, the HFT shall be placed between the same layers within the sample stack. For surface-mounted applications, the HFT shall be mounted as specied in either Practices C 1041 or C 1046. Important considerations for surface mounting include thermal contact between the HFT and panel or pipe surface and matching of the emittance and curvature of the HFT and test construction. 5.6 Specimen Preparation for All Cases: 5.6.1 CautionWhen bringing the signal output leads out 3 For the purpose of this practice, the HFT output shall be assumed to be a voltage, although other outputs, such as current, may exist. 4 The boldface numbers in parentheses refer to the references at the end of this practice. C 1130 2 of the test instrument, take care to avoid air gaps in the mask or between the sample stack and the test instrument. Air gaps should be lled with a conformable material, such as tooth- paste, caulk, or putty, or covered with tape. 5.6.2 The HFTs do not need to be physically adhered to the mask or embedding material but should t well enough to assure good thermal contact. 5.6.3 The mask or embedding material should be signi- cantly larger in cross-section than the metering area of the test equipment used to determine the HFT sensitivity and ideally be the same size as the plates of the apparatus. When masking, the ideal assembly avoids any focusing or distortion of the heat ux around or through the HFT. 6. Procedure 6.1 Guarded-hot-plate, pipe tester, heat ow meter, guarded- hot-box, calibrated-hot-box, and thin-heater apparatuses have been successfully utilized for determining the sensitivity of HFTs. The requirements of the appropriate ASTM test method must be followed. Apparatuses that typically require two samples should be operated in the single-sided mode in conformance with Practice C 1044 or in a double-sided con- guration, provided that the percentage of heat ow to each side is known. 6.1.1 The sensitivity methods will be performed under steady-state conditions as required by the appropriate ASTM test method. NOTE 1Caution: The steady-state conditions of these procedures will most likely differ from those when the HFT is used. 6.2 For Surface Mounted Cases: 6.2.1 The HFTs shall be mounted in the central area of the test panel or pipe that is within a boundary that is wider than one-fourth of the smallest dimension of the exposed face of the test panel in calibrated hot boxes and within the metering area of guarded hot boxes and pipe testers. 6.2.2 In many cases, several surface-mounted HFTs will be used at one time and can be analyzed for sensitivity simulta- neously. 6.3 For All Applications: 6.3.1 A device shall be provided to measure the voltage output from the HFT. The resolution of this device should be such that the desired accuracy of the sensitivity determination is attained. For HFTs of typical construction, voltmeters with a resolution of 62 V have been found to be satisfactory for this purpose. 6.3.2 HFT sensitivity shall be determined for the range of heat uxes, mean temperatures, and curvatures expected in the actual application. The hot- and cold-surface plates of the test instrument shall be adjusted to satisfy these requirements. Care shall be taken to perform these tests at heat uxes that are large enough to limit errors due to the readout electronics and that are similar to the anticipated levels of heat ux in the end-use experiment. Atemperature sensor shall be located in or near the HFT to adequately measure its temperature during the sensi- tivity tests. 6.3.3 For the calibration of small HFTs where other sensors are used for masking, at least three tests shall be performed with the HFTs arranged according to a randomized plan that guarantees that systematic errors due to HFT placement are minimized. Enough experiments shall be performed to ensure that all the HFTs that are being calibrated are tested within the metered area of the test apparatus. 7. Report 7.1 The report shall give a general description of the heat ux transducer that was calibrated. The physical characteristics of the HFT shall be identied, and any pertinent data available from the manufacturer shall be reported. 7.2 The type of sensitivity (calibration or conversion) and the ASTM test method used shall be detailed. 7.3 The test stack assembly that was used to install the HFT into the test instrument shall be fully described. This descrip- tion shall include the location of the HFT, the material used to mask or embed the HFT, and any additional layers of material used in the assembly. The geometry and thermal performance characteristics of the assembly materials should be included in the descriptions. 7.4 The temperatures of the HFT and surface plates are to be recorded. The temperature difference between the surface plates and the heat ow direction shall be recorded and reference made to the appropriate test method if the method species the temperature difference required to measure heat ux. 7.5 Tables and plots of heat ux as a function of mean temperature or heat ux, or both, versus HFT output should be included in the report. 8. Precision and Bias 8.1 For each type of HFT, at least three replications of the sensitivity tests are required to determine the precision and bias of the procedure. If this has been done previously for similar applications of identical HFTs, the precision and bias deter- mined then can be used for the present tests. The precision and bias of this practice must include the uncertainty from the test method that is used to determine the HFT sensitivity. 8.2 To evaluate the consistency of the test results, an analysis is to be made of the sensitivity data. Assuming the sensitivity of the HFT to be a linear function of mean temperature, departure from linearity for each HFT can be determined. A linear regression can be performed for each of the HFTs and the least-squares difference between the mid- point and the regression curve will serve as an indication of the departure from linearity. 8.3 The uncertainty of the heat ux and the HFT output must be determined along with the departure from unidirec- tional heat ow when the masking technique is employed. The magnitude of this effect can be determined by performing a series of experiments with masks of varying thermal resis- tances. 8.4 The heat ux measured by two different types of independently calibrated HFTs installed at the same time in the same roof assembly measured a difference in heat ux of approximately 8 % (9). 9. Keywords 9.1 calibration; heat ux transducer; in situ testing; sensi- tivity C 1130 3 REFERENCES (1) Trethowen, H. A., Engineering Applications of Heat Flux Sensors in BuildingsThe Sensor and Its Behavior, Building Applications of Heat Flux Transducers, ASTM STP 885, Edited by E. Bales, M. Bomberg, and G. E. Courville, ASTM, 1985. (2) van der Graaf, F., Research in Calibration and Application Errors of Heat Flux Sensors, Building Applications of Heat Flux Transducers, ASTM STP 885, Edited by E. Bales, M. Bomberg, and G. E. Courville, ASTM, 1985. (3) Baba, T., Ono, A., and Hattori, S., Analysis of the Operational Error of Heat Flux Transducers Placed on Wall Surfaces, Review of Scientic Instruments, 56 (7), July 1985. (4) Apthorp, D. M., and Bligh, T. P., Modelling of Heat Flux Distortion Around Heat Flux Sensors, Building Applications of Heat Flux Transducers, ASTM STP 885, Edited by E. Bales, M. Bomberg, and G. E. Courville, ASTM, 1985. (5) Schwerdtfeger, P., The Measurement of Heat Flow in the Ground and the Theory of Heat Flux Meters, Technical Report 232, U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, Hanover, NH, 1970. (6) Bligh, T. P., and Apthorp, D. M., Heat Flux Sensor Calibration Technique, Building Applications of Heat Flux Transducers, ASTM STP 885, Edited by E. Bales, M. Bomberg, and G. E. Courville, ASTM, 1985. (7) Orlandi, R. D., Derderian, G. D., Shu, L. S., and Siadat, B., Calibration of Heat Flux Transducers, Building Applications of Heat Flux Transducers, ASTM STP 885, Edited by E. Bales, M. Bomberg, and G. E. Courville, ASTM, 1985. (8) Desjarlais, A. O., and Tye, R. P., Experimental Methods for Deter- mining the Thermal Performance of Cellular Plastic Insulation Mate- rials Used in Roofs, Presented at the 8th Conference on Roong Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, 1987. (9) Courville, G. E., Desjarlais, A. O., Tye, R. P., and McIntyre, C. R., A Comparison of Two Independent Techniques for the Determination of In-Situ Thermal Performance, ASTM STP 1030, Edited by D. McElroy and J. Kimpen, ASTM, 1990. The American Society for Testing and Materials takes no position respecting the validity of any patent rights asserted in connection with any item mentioned in this standard. Users of this standard are expressly advised that determination of the validity of any such patent rights, and the risk of infringement of such rights, are entirely their own responsibility. This standard is subject to revision at any time by the responsible technical committee and must be reviewed every ve years and if not revised, either reapproved or withdrawn. Your comments are invited either for revision of this standard or for additional standards and should be addressed to ASTM Headquarters. Your comments will receive careful consideration at a meeting of the responsible technical committee, which you may attend. If you feel that your comments have not received a fair hearing you should make your views known to the ASTM Committee on Standards, at the address shown below. This standard is copyrighted by ASTM, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA19428-2959, United States. Individual reprints (single or multiple copies) of this standard may be obtained by contacting ASTM at the above address or at 610-832-9585 (phone), 610-832-9555 (fax), or service@astm.org (e-mail); or through the ASTM website (www.astm.org). C 1130 4