Paper - Optimizing Thermal Diffusivity Measurements for Fluids with Accessible 3D Printing and Arduino-Based Temperature Control

This study introduces an instrument to measure thermal diffusivity in fluids, called a Thermal Wave Resonator Cavity, constructed via additive manufacturing (3D printing) and significantly improved by integrating a temperature control system developed with an Arduino microcontroller. The device was assessed through measurement of the thermal diffusivity of distilled water both with and without temperature control. The results demonstrate that the temperature-controlled system yields significantly more reliable and reproducible thermal diffusivity measurements compared to the uncontrolled system. Furthermore, measurements of water’s thermal diffusivity at various temperatures corroborated values previously reported in the literature. This cost-effective and innovative solution leverages accessible technology to enhance the accuracy of thermal measurements, thereby democratizing access to traditionally expensive, high-quality scientific instruments. This approach has the potential to broaden research capabilities across various scientific disciplines by melding affordability with precision.本研究研制了一款用于流体热扩散系数测量的仪器——热波谐振腔（Thermal Wave Resonator Cavity），该仪器采用增材制造（Additive Manufacturing，3D打印）工艺制备，并通过集成基于Arduino微控制器（Arduino microcontroller）开发的温控系统实现了性能的显著提升。本研究通过对有无温控系统的蒸馏水热扩散系数进行测量，完成了对该装置的性能评估。实验结果表明，相较于无温控方案，搭载温控系统的装置可获得显著更可靠且可重复的热扩散系数测量结果。此外，不同温度下水的热扩散系数测量结果与此前文献报道的数值高度吻合。该经济高效且极具创新性的方案借助易得的技术手段提升了热测量精度，由此打破了传统高端科学仪器价格高昂的使用壁垒，实现了科研资源的普惠。这种将高精度与低成本相结合的研究路径，有望为多学科领域拓展科研能力边界。