abstract
- IEEEThis article presents a novel alternative for measuring the heat power generated by microelectronic devices during their designing stages. The proposed system is comprised of an uncommon geometry and a signal-processing measuring strategy based on the calorimetric principle and natural convection. The calorimeter is non-conventional compared to others proposed in the literature because it does not require an external power supply or internal moving parts. Therefore, this device features a low-cost operation. In addition, the calorimeter’s geometry and design make able to be implemented at any place, as well as enhancement-adaptable. Furthermore, the thermal behavior is studied based on experimental data and numerical simulations to characterize the system properly. Thus, the calorimeter is modeled as a Cauchy problem by an ordinary differential equation to find the transient time constant. Several testing devices ranging from 1 W to 20 W were used. Therefore, an algorithm was developed to determine the net heat power in a reduced time. The slowest procedure identified using the proposed algorithm is a 1 W device with less than a half-time constant. Finally, the time reduction when employing devices with power dissipation higher than 20 W is also discussed.