Engineering Design Inc.

Section 4 RESEARCH ABOUT THE PROBLEM

Standard techniques for direct steady-state measurement of thermal
conductivity, greatly influenced by a long history of test development at national
standards laboratories [111], have been established. These techniques are often
developed based on the type of material being studied. They are essentially
modifications from a conventional thermal conductivity measurement using guarded
hot plate (Fig. 1). Over the course of scientific development, problems and errors have
been found to accompany these measurement methods, including consistency,
accuracy and suitability.

Figure of the components of the thermal conductivity meter

One major problem of applying this techniques is that no one design is

appropriate for every situation (Miller, 1). The design has to be considered on a case-
by-case basis. This means that for every experiment the researcher has to build an
equipment from scratch to measure the thermal conductivity of the material they are
studying. Consequently, the data obtained in every run will not be exactly comparable
for any tiny small changes in the set up will affect the measurements. This problem is
substantial and can pose a great deal of irreproducibility of the results.

Furthermore, guarded hot plate leads to other problems such as suitability of

the experimental design components and accuracy of the data obtained. Often,
researchers have to build the design using less appropriate tools which may not have
the right mechanical strength, thus introducing safety hazards in the laboratory (Fig.
2). Moreover, Milller stated in his paper, published in Journal of Testing and
Evaluation, that great care must be taken when carrying out the experiment to
mathematically correct design imperfections. This approach may not be the most
accurate way to obtain the data of the thermal conductivity and will most likely affect
the reliability of the results.

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 Engineering Design Inc.

Tubes introducing tripping

hazards

Aluminum Foil cause a major

water leak

Figure of the currently used apparatus to measure thermal conductivity at

Texas Tech University

Section 5 POSSIBLE SOLUTION

Presented with the aforementioned continuing problems, there is a critical need to

develop an instrument that would simplify the procedure of measuring thermal
conductivity. To overcome the major problem of design consistency, we develop an
analyzing instrument with an automated data acquisition system. Our ultimate goal is
to eliminate the step of having to build the experimental designs for each run. The key
quality of this instrument is its versatility and broad range of materials that can be
analyzed. The instrument employs essential principles of guarded hot plate techniques
with advanced features in better insulation, data acquisition system, and more
accurate mathematical modelling.

With the case-by-case design, the most challenging part is providing sufficient
insulation. Heat loss is very unfavorable in an experiment measuring thermal
properties. Thus, this step has to be carried out very carefully or the data obtained will
deviate from the true values. Our design solves this problem by providing built-in
insulation using double pane foam-stainless steel walls. The vacuum in between the
walls provide an excellent insulation due to its poor ability to conduct heat (k
approaches to zero).

Conventional guarded hot plate experiments normally uses average temperature

measuring probes, recorded with a standard laboratory stopwatch.

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 Engineering Design Inc.

The design of the thermal conductivity meter consist of three main parts. The main
chamber located at the center of machine containing the specimen. The insulation that
is located around the specimen is used to reduce heat loss to the surrounding. The
temperature reading tools for this apparatus is thermocouples that are located around
the specimen. The output from this reading will be processed by the computer and
shown on the screen. The specifications of this machine based on our final design is
described below.

Type and Model Thermal Conductivity Meter

Measuring Method
Measuring Range 0.011 to 25 W/mK
Precision 2% reading value per reference plate
Reproducibility 2% reading value per reference plate
Sensor Thermocouple
Heater current precision 0.1% of setup value
Temperature -15 to 200 oC
Measuring time 60-120 seconds
Display Thermal Conductivity:
XXX.XX W/m.K
Dimension of sample 100 (W)x50(L)x20(t) (mm)
Ambient condition 10-30 oC
Power source 100 to 240 VAC, 50/60 Hz
Dimension Main unit: 475(Diameter), 300(H) (mm)
Main chamber: 400x100x40(t) (mm)
Weight Approx. 2 kg

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