T H E R M A L CONDUCTIVITY OF INSULATING POWDER

AIM: To determine Thermal Conductivity of Insulating Powder.

THEORY
In many heat transfer equipment, heat loss to surroundings is to be minimized to
achieve maximum economy. In such cases they are lagged by materials of lower
thermal conductivity, which are referred as insulators. Because of demand of such
insulating materials, many industries have come up to produce such material.
Preference is given: produce materials having lower and lower thermal
conductivities. Also their material is available in different shapes, sizes and forms
of powders. Powder have the advantage that they can take any complicated shape
between any two conforming surfaces. In addition its conductivity will be much
lower than that of the basic solid from which the powder has been made. This is
because of a very large number of air spaces in between particles, which have
much lower thermal conductivity values. Thermal conductivity of such material is
a complicated function of the Geometry of the particles, particle thermal
conductivity, the nature of heat transfer, conduction, convection and radiation in
air spaces, which is determined by the air space size and temperature level etc.
Thus it is very difficult quantity to estimate and almost in all practical cases it is
measured experimentally. The set-up provided is one such apparatus to find the
thermal conductivity values.

Consider the transfer of heat by conduction through the wall of hollow sphere
formed by the insulating powdered layer packed between two thin copper spheres.

Let ri = radius of inner sphere in meter

ro = radius of outer sphere in meter

Thermal conductivity of an insulating powder

 Ti = average temperature of the inner surface in °C.

To = average temperature of the outer surface in °C.

T1  T2 T T
Where Ti= and T0  3 4
2 2
Consider a thin spherical layer of thickness dr at radius r & temperature difference
of dT across the layer. Applying Fourier law of heat conduction, heat transfer rate,
Q = -k. 4 π . r2.[dT/dr]
q dr
 2  dT
4k r
Integrating between ri to ro and Ti to To, we get
o r o T
q dr
4k ri r 2 Ti
   dT

1 1
     Ti  To 
q
4k  ri ro 

4kri ro Ti  To 
or, q 
ro  ri

Where k = thermal conductivity of insulating powder.

From the Experimental values of q, Ti, and To, the unknown thermal conductivity k
can be determined as:
q(ro  ri )
k
4r i ro (Ti  To )

DESCRIPTION

The apparatus consists of two thin walled concentric spheres of copper of different
size. The small inner copper sphere houses the heating coil. The insulating powder

Thermal conductivity of an insulating powder

(asbestos powder lagging material) is packed between the two spheres. The powder
given to the heating coil is measured by Voltmeter and Ammeter and can be varied
by using Dimmerstat. There are four (T, to T4) Thermocouples embedded on the
copper spheres. T1, and T2 (2 Nos.) are embedded on the inner sphere and rest T3
and T4 (2 Nos.) on the outer sphere Thermal Conductivity of Insulating Power can
be find out by taking the temperature reading of these thermocouples. Assume that
Insulating Powder is an isotropic material and the value of Thermal Conductivity
to be constant. The apparatus assumes one dimensional radial heat conduction
across the powder and thermal conductivity can be determined.

Fig. 1 Schematic of experimental set-up

SPECIFICATIONS

1. Radius of the inner copper sphere n = 75 mm

2. Radius of the outer copper sphere r0 = 100 mm

Thermal conductivity of an insulating powder

3. Voltmeter 0-300 V

4. Ammeter 0-2A

5. Temperature Indicator 0-300°C

6. Dimmerstat 0-2A, 0-230V

7. Heater coil-type - Strip Heating Element Sandwiched between mica sheets

8. Thermocouples No. T, embedded on the inner sphere to measure Ti

9. Thermocouple No.T2 embedded on the outer sphere to measure T0

10. Insulating Powder-Asbestos magnesia commercially available powder and

packed between the two spheres.

PROCEDURE

1. Use stabilized AC single phase supply only.

2. Always keep the dimmerstat at Zero position before start and increase the
voltage slowly.

3. Operate the selector switch of temp, indicator gently.

There is a possibility of getting abrupt result if the supply voltage is fluctuating or

if the input is not adjusted till the satisfactory steady state condition reached.

Thermal conductivity of an insulating powder

OBSERVATION TABLE

1. Voltmeter reading (V) = V

2. Ammeter reading (I) = A

3. Heater Input q (q) = V x I Watts

INNER SPHERE

Thermocouple NO. T1

Ti = Ti

Temperature °C

OUTER SPHERE

Thermocouple No. T2

T0= T2

Temperature °C

CALCULATIONS

Calculate the value of k by using the equation:

q(ro  ri )
k
4r i ro (Ti  To )

ri = Inner Radius (meters)

r0 = Outer Radius (meters)

Ti = Inside surface temperature °C.

T0 = Outside surface temperature °C.

K = Thermal conductivity w/m-0K

Thermal conductivity of an insulating powder

SAMPLE CALCULATIONS:

OBSERVATION TABLE

1. Voltmeter reading (V) = 100 V

2. Ammeter reading (I) = 0.26A

3. Heater Input q q =VXI = 26Watts

INNER SPHERE

Thermocouple NO. T1

T i = T 1 = 67.7

Temperature °C

OUTER SPHERE

Thermocouple No. T2

T0 = T2 = 48.9

Temperature °C

CALCULATIONS

Calculate the value of k by using the equation:

q(r o r i ) 26(100  103  50  103 )

k =
4r i ro(Ti T o) 4  3.4  100  103  50  103 (67.7  48.9)

= 0.314

Thermal conductivity of an insulating powder

Where,

ri = Inner Radius (meters) = 50 x 10-3

ro = Outer Radius (meters) = 100x 10-3

Ti = Inside surface temperature °C. = 67.7°C

T0 = Outside surface temperature °C. = 48.9°C

Thermal conductivity of an insulating powder