Skip to main content

Heat Flux Detectors

Bespoke fiber-optic Heat Flux Detectors

Heat flux is the rate of heat transfer per unit area and is critical in thermal modelling, material analysis, battery thermal management, spacecraft thermals, process systems and safety systems.

Proximion design and manufacture bespoke fiber-optic heat flux detectors that are based on miniature FBG arrays and thermal transfer substrates, converting heat gradients into quantifiable optical signals.

Underlying Principles

A heat flux detector typically uses two or more FBGs spaced across a known substrate thickness. The temperature differential between them corresponds to heat flow.

By measuring the differential wavelength shifts and knowing the substrate’s thermal properties, heat flux (W/m²) can be derived.

Distinct Characteristics

  • High-bandwidth response to rapid thermal events.
  • Compact sensor footprint, suitable even on curved surfaces.
  • Stable calibration over long-term, resistant to drift.
  • Integration into distributed fiber systems, enabling many flux points.
  • Low thermal mass, minimal perturbation of the thermal field.
  • Easy installation: no complex cabling infrastructure.

Domains of Application

  • Thermal shielding tests.
  • Battery pack and thermal runaway evaluation.
  • Heat exchanger and HVAC system performance testing.
  • Combustion research, fuel cell diagnostics.
  • Process monitoring of heat dependent processes.

Proximion's Strength

By combining thermal design simulation with optical instrumentation, Proximion has extensive experience in the deployment of FBG optical sensor systems in industrial and critical environments.

Proximion designs and manufactures bespoke heat flux detectors that deliver accurate, reliable readings even under rapidly changing conditions. Such solutions provide real-time, accurate data for smarter decision-making, improved safety, and optimized performance, making them the preferred choice for modern sensing solutions for today’s demands to optimise efficiency, enhance sustainability and increase safety.