Simple method for measuring thermal conductivity

Abstract

Heat transfer is a phenomenon well known from everyday life. It is intuitively connected to the properties of materials, that is, to the physics concept of thermal conductivity relevant for cooking or maintaining the constant temperature in rooms, even without being familiar to the underlying physics. However, measurement of thermal conductivity is usually demanding, but here we present a simple, quick, and almost hands-on method that yields quite accurate values for thermal conductivity of insulating and semi-insulating materials, appropriate for a classroom setting.

Thermal conductivity measurement experiment of metal using heat sensor and Arduino

“…Heat flows in a conductor from the high temperature side to the low temperature side. So, in a conductor, the temperature is divided along the length of the conductor so as to create a kind of path to flow heat from a place with more heat (high temperature) to a place with less heat (low temperature) [3][4]. The strength of heat transmission through the conductor depends on the slope of the temperature division along the conductor as per Fourier's law…”

Modelling and measurements of heat transfer coefficient in classroom experiments

“…Problems involving heat transfer are rarely included in experimental exercises in secondary schools because of their complexity, especially of the boundary conditions. Only a few studies have been published on this subject [1][2][3][4]. In [1], the thermal conductivity of a brick was determined, but simplified boundary conditions were used, neglecting convection.…”

“…In [1], the thermal conductivity of a brick was determined, but simplified boundary conditions were used, neglecting convection. The same assumption was used in [2] to determine the thermal conductivity of varied materials from which the cups were made. In [3], care was taken to ensure that good * Author to whom any correspondence should be addressed.…”

Theoretical, Numerical and Experimental Assessment of Temperature Response in Polylactic Acid and Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene Used in Additive Manufacturing

“…Various methods are employed to determine the thermal conductivity of materials, mainly based on measuring temperatures on opposite walls of a test sample of known material and dimensions under a specified heat flux. Methods used to evaluate the thermal conductivity of materials include the guarded hot plate method, axial flow method, cylinder method, flash method, hot wire method, needle probe method, and transient plane method [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8].…”