Determination of the anisotropic thermal conductivity of an aerogel-based plaster using transient plane source method

Aerogel-based plasters are composite materials with declared thermal conductivities in the range of traditional insulating materials, i.e. 30-50 mW/(m·K). Based on the results from reported field measurements, aerogel-based plasters can significantly reduce the thermal transmittance of uninsulated walls. However, the in-situ measured thermal conductivities have sometimes been higher than the declared values measured in laboratory and in the main direction of the heat flow. Meanwhile, the anisotropic thermal performance of aerogel-based plasters, i.e., deviating thermal performance in the different directions of heat flow, has not been explored yet. The objective of this study is thus to evaluate the anisotropic thermal conductivity of an aerogel-based plaster. This is done in a set of laboratory measurements using the transient plane source method. Six identical and cubic samples with the dimensions of 10×10×10 cm3 were paired two and two, creating three identical sample sets. In total, 360 measurements of thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity, and 130 measurements for specific heat capacity were conducted. The results indicate a weak anisotropy of less than ±6.5 % between the three directions (x, y, z). Considering the accuracy of the selected measurement technique, better than ±5 %, supplementary measurements using another technique are recommended.

Experimental Studies of the Sedimentation, Stability and Thermal Conductivity of Two Different Nanofluids

: Fluids containing nanometer-sized particles (nanofluids, NFs) are potential candidates to improve the performance and efficiency of several thermal devices at micro- and macro-scale levels. However, the problem of sedimentation and instability of these colloidal dispersions has been the biggest obstacle for industrial-scale applications. In this work, two different NFs were tested using distilled water (DI-Water) as the base fluid. The first is a traditional NF formed by Al2O3 nanoparticles (NPs) with 50 nm diameter, and the second is a novel NF formed by poly (acrylic acid)-coated iron oxide NPs (Fe3O4@PAA) with ~10 nm diameter, obtained through a hydrothermal synthesis process. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the colloidal stability of these NFs over time using different volume fractions and compare it with DI-Water. Results involving sedimentation studies and zeta potential measurements showed that the proposed Fe3O4@PAA NF presents a higher colloidal stability compared to that of the Al2O3 NF. Additionally, thermal conductivity measurements were performed in both Fe3O4@PAA and Al2O3 NFs at different NP concentrations, using the transient plane source technique. Results showed higher thermal conductivity values for the Fe3O4@PAA NFs compared to those of Al2O3 NFs. However, a linear enhancement of thermal conductivity with increasing NPs concentration was observed for the Al2O3 NF over the whole range of NP concentrations tested, whereas two different regimes were observed for the Fe3O4@PAA NF.

Experimental Study on Thermal Properties of Hollow Sphere Structures

Experimental analyses are performed to determine thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity and volumetric specific heat with transient plane source method on hollow sphere structures. Single-sided testing is used on different samples and different surfaces. Results dependency on the surface is observed.

Effect of chemical treatment on thermophysical behavior of Spanish broom flour-reinforced polypropylene biocomposite

This work presents the chemical modification of Spanish broom flour (SBF), and the study of SBF loading and surface treatment on the performances of polypropylene (PP) biocomposites. In order to enhance the interfacial interactions between the PP matrix and the SBF, two types of chemical treatments were used: 2 wt% of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) for different times (8, 24 and 48 h) and 5 wt% of vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMS), respectively. Different techniques for characterization such as the melting flow index (MFI), X-ray diffraction, transient plane source (TPS) and water absorption were used. The experiment results showed a decrease of the MFI with increasing of modified SBF content, independently of the type of the chemical treatment. Moreover, this decrease became significant in the biocomposites containing SBF-VTMS. The X-ray patterns showed that surface treatment of SBF could improve their crystallinity and crystallite sizes. The TPS measurements illustrates that the thermal conductivity of the biocomposites decreases with 10 wt% of modified SBF loading. Higher content than 20 wt% of SBF, improved the thermal conductivity of the biocomposites. Meanwhile, the lowest values were found when the VTMS is used. Besides, it was accompanied by a decrease in absorptivity due to the better interfacial adhesion SBF-PP.

Measurement and Prediction of Thermal Conductivity of Volcanic Basalt Rocks from Warsak Area

Accurate values of thermal properties of rocks are needed for a number of engineering applications starting from heat losses in buildings to underground geothermal modeling. Igneous rocks are one of the major constituents of the Earth’s crust and are formed by the crystallization and solidification of molten magma. In this work, the thermal transport properties of porous igneous basalt rocks are measured using Transient Plane Source (TPS) technique under ambient conditions with air as saturant in pore spaces. Data are presented for fifteen samples of volcanic basalt rocks having different porosity values ranging from 0.267% to 9.432% by volume, taken from the place of Warsak near Peshawar city, located in the north of Pakistan. The porosity and density parameters are measured using the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards. The mineral compositions of the samples are analyzed by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) technique. The specific gravity is predicted using the chemical composition of basalts and is compared with the experimental results. The thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity values of the measured samples are also predicted using the mixing law and empirical models and results are compared with the measured data. Results show that the thermal conductivity of the studies of basalt samples decreases with the increase in porosity values, whereas no significant change has been observed in the thermal diffusivity data. Measured data are significant for geothermal modeling and in predicting heat losses in buildings wherever basalt rocks are used.