Micro-heater

Designing and framing a micro-heater

Mirco-heater

Deploying the idea of a micro-heater, where we enable located heating [7], the goal is to design and implement it on my own. When we localize the heating area, we could loan the concept of MEMS into the heating technology. As per the article by Horade et. al (2016) [8], regional selective heating is an enticing approach for a MEMS heating system. Appropriating such an approach, it is worth exploring whether an array matrix of thermal energy can be represented onto the heating element. Whilst embracing the unique transition phases that are immediately relevant with the radiated thermal energy, we can formulate an idea that each array will receive a unique heat value, which will be directly related with their transitional promises.

Horade et. al exploited three layers of a microheater as the basis; in a 4 x 4 array, authors coupled the heater with lead wires that was possible to be integrated with sensors.

A few design ideas harnessed are as follows:

Material

Material:

The most commonly used materials for microheater are Pt, Au, Ag, Ti, W, and NiCr (p. 4).

Substrate

Substrate:

"should have low thermal conductivity, and the substrate acting as an intermediate layer between the heater and the heat transfer medium should have high thermal conductivity for significant heat transfers to the required medium." (p.5) examples could include glass, paper, ceramics, polymers, etc.

Geometry

Geometry of hotplate array:

meander structure (even thermal distribution, lower temperature), square model (higher temperature), rectangular mesh pattern (uniform distribution).

Printing

Printing:

using Pt ink, it will be printed with a micropen and screen printing (Fasolt el al. 2017).

In the paper, the automatic temperature control module was organized as the flow of

Thermal sensors -> Temperature Controller (PTC resistance, PID controller) -> Power Output Controller

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Initial Heater Design

0) Sketching: I planned to have the microheater to mainly be coupled with a thermocouple, a cooling fan, and having acrylic four walls that will retain heat/cool and vice versa. Then, each will be slotted into the array box with spaces in between measured out.

An Initial Design for Micro-heater Array Set-up

1) Using Peltier for its initial ability to exert heat and cool on the other side.

Peltier Module Being Tested with Thermopigment Ink

2) Making the skeleton frame for 3 X3 microheaters.

3) Having a moment to realize A LOT more energy may be needed to move or transition the inner molecules into visual change shape; despite the absolute value of thermal energy.

4) Finding the right electric units and testing the Peltier thermal capacity.

5) Assembling the design to test out reversed polarity.

References:

[7] Yoon, J., Kim, S., & Lee, H. (2021). Development of a novel 2-dimensional micro-heater array device with regional selective heating. Biomedical Microdevices, 23(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10544-021-00595-8

[8] Liu, X., & Zhang, Y. (2016). Development of a novel 2-dimensional micro-heater array device with regional selective heating. Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, 26(3), 035001. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301639063_Development_of_a_Novel_2-Dimensional_Micro-Heater_Array_Device_with_Regional_Selective_Heating