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Creating a Calorimeter: Using Mathematica to Measure Dielectric Loss

Frederic Aitken, Electrical Engineering Lab of Grenoble

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"I would say that my biggest interest in Mathematica is to be able to marry both the analytical calculation and numerical computation in a single formulation of code."

Challenge

As a researcher at the Electrical Engineering Lab of Grenoble, Frederic Aitken studies discharge in insulating liquids in order to understand the defects associated with high-voltage transformers. This requires the ability to quickly analyze experimental data and compare it to theoretical models.

Solution

For Aitken, Mathematica is a powerful tool capable of carrying out analytical calculations and numerical computations with minimal code. His team has even developed a calorimetric device capable of measuring dielectric losses in the power of electronic components using Mathematica.

Benefits

In addition to making it easy to compare experimental results and theoretical models, Mathematica's ability to construct functions from interpolations means that Aitken can build a continuous model from only a few data points. "You can simplify the problem that was initially difficult or only had a few points tabulated using this aspect of Mathematica," he adds.

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