An automated probe for thermal conductivity measurements

A transient technique was validated for making thermal conductivity measurements. The technique incorporated a small, effectively spherical, heat source and temperature sensing probe. The actual thermal conductivity measurements lasted 30 seconds. After approximately 15 minutes of data reduction, a value for thermal conductivity was obtained. The probe yielded local thermal conductivity measurements. Spherical sample volumes less than 8 cm² were required for the materials tested. Thermal conductivity (and moisture) distributions can be measured for relatively dry or wetted samples. The technique employs an encapsulated bead thermistor. A thermistor, more commonly used as a temperature transducer, has the inherent feature of being readily self-heated. A computer-based data acquisition and control system regulates the power supplied to the thermistor such that its self-heated temperature response approximates a step change. Thermal conductivity is deduced from the transient measurement of the power dissipated by the probe as a function of time. The technique was used to measure the thermal conductivity of fifteen liquids and five insulation materials. Two different thermistor types, glass-encapsulated and Teflon-encapsulated, were evaluated. Capabilities and limitations of each probe type and the measurement technique, in general, were observed.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Mechanical Engineering

Department dc:contributor.department

Mechanical Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Year dc:date.issued

1987

Author dc:creator

• Dougherty, Brian P.

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10919/101183

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/101183