RheoDSC is a novel thermal analysis technique that permits simultaneous rheometry and calorimetry on one sample. By combining two instruments in a single setup, introducing a rotor assembly and an insert for fixing sample plates into the DSC cell, an operational instrument was developed. As design and material selection greatly influence the calorimetric performance of this combined technique, several designs were evaluated through numerical simulation of experiments. Finite element based heat transfer modelling, in some cases combined with chemical reaction modelling, is used to evaluate the quality of the calorimetric response, supporting the instrument design. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.