Thermogenesis: Response given by calorimeters whose physical parameters change in time

The response given by conduction calorimeters whose physical parameters change in time is analysed in terms of heat transport equations particularly through "localized time constants" or RC models including variable coefficients. The results obtained in simple models exhibit several anomalies concerning the sensibility of the device: its value usually differs from that given by classical models and also from the temperature of the stationary state (corresponding to a constant power release inside the laboratory cell). These facts could question the standard calibration procedures in the case of phase transitions and liquid mixtures.