Experiment 14: Thermal conductivity

(Loosely translated from the text by Jukka Vaari) Introduction The amount of heat transported through a plate is determined by the material properties and the thermal gradient. The equation for this is

where dQ/dt is the amount of heat per unit time, is the thermal conductivity of the plate, A is the area, l is the plate thickness and dT is the temperature difference. The units of thermal conductivity are W/m/K. Measurement of a materials thermal conductivity may be accomplished by measuring the amount of heat which passes through a material with a known temperature gradient. In this experiment, the thermal gradient is determined by exposing opposite sides of a plate to ice (0C) and to steam (100C). The amount of heat is known from the quantity of ice which melts in a measured amount of time through the heat of fusion. A common method for investigating thermal conductivity consists of stacking different materials together, as shown in Figure 1. The thermal conductivity through each layer is

dQ dt

A(Ti li

Ti 1 )

,i

1...N

L1, 1 L2, 2 L3, 3 : LN, N

T0 T1 T2 T3

6. Place the plate to be investigated on the steam box using the clamping screws. Set the steam generator current and voltage to maximum. 7. Wait until the steam is coming from the drain on the steam box at a steady rate. The steam column should spray 10-20 cm. 8. Measure the diameter of the ice. 9. Place the piece of ice in its container on the plate on the steam box. The hole at the bottom of the ice container should point down to run-off channel. 10. Wait until the ice is melting steadily so that the water is flowing continuously. Before you begin the first measurement, wait until the surface roughness of the ice has melted away. 11. When you are ready to begin the measurement, empty the container below the steam box run-off channel and start the stopwatch. 12. Collect the water from the melting ice at the run-off channel. Collect approximately 50 ml of water and stop timing. Depending on the plate, this can take 2-15 minutes. 13. As soon as the measurement is complete, put the ice container aside until you are ready to make the next measurement. Turn off the voltage and current to the steam generator. 14. Weigh the amount of water in the container. This is more accurate than using the gauge marks on the beakers. To change the disk: 15. Turn off power to the steam generator and wait until there is no longer any water coming from the steam box drain. Again fill the steam generator so that it is 3/4 full. Install the next plate and turn the steam generator back on to full power. If the LOW WATER light comes on during a measurement, stop the timer and remove the piece of ice from the steam box so that it does not melt uselessly. Turn off the steam generator and wait until the amount of steam has slowed. carefully remove the top and refill the steam generator to 3/4 full then turn it back on and wait until the steam is again coming continuously from the steam box. Replace the ice on the plate, and resume timing. For your report:

where li and i are the thickness and the thermal conductivity of each plate, and Ti is the temperature at each junction. The important thing to note is that, although the temperature each junction is unknown, the heat conducted through all layers is the same. This allows us to write an equation for the heat conductivity through the entire structure as

dQ dt

tot

A( Ttot ) l tot

TN

where Ttot is the temperature difference across the entire stack , ltot is the total thickness of the stack, and tot is the effective thermal conductivity of the stack. This may be calculated by using the known thickness of each layer to solve for an unknown thermal conductivity using the relationship

Calculate the thermal conductivity of the glass plates. In this assignment, special glass is used so that it can withstand the thermal gradient experienced during the test. In this respect, the thermal conductivity is clearly superior to ordinary glass. Calculate the error associated with the measured value of the thermal conductivity. Also, using the thermal conductivity of the individual plates, determine the thermal conductivity of the air gap in the multi-layer plate. Can this result be generalized and applied to the air-gap of 4 cm typical of household windows? (hint: the thermal conductivity of a series of plates can be determined in the same manner as the electrical conductivity of a series of resistors). Question (optional) Using the thermal conductivity of the plates and of the air gap, calculate the thermal conductivity of a window assuming 5 mm glass thickness and the same 4 cm air gap. How much heat is lost if the temperature difference is 40C. Assume the window area is 1 m2.

l tot
tot

N i=1

li
i

The system of plates is analogous to a series of resistors, each with a thermal resistance of Ri=li/i. Experiment The experimental apparatus is shown in the Finnish laboratory directions. Ask the assistant for clarifications before getting started. 1. Ask the assistant for ice, micrometers, and a stopwatch. You will also need Vernier calipers and a ruler. 2. Loosen the ice from the container WITHOUT BREAKING IT. Try using water. 3. Make sure that the steam generator is at least 3/4 full. 4. Connect the hose between the steam generator and the steam box. Put a container beneath the drain hole in the steam box., and a second container beneath the runoff channel. Use paper towels to minimize the amount of water splashed from the drain-hole. 5. Measure the thickness of the individual glass plates and of the plate assemblies.