An experimental technique based on the thermal wave approach for measuring the thermal conductivity of liquids is developed in this paper. A stainless steel strip functions as both a heating element and a sealing cover for a chamber containing a test liquid. A periodic current passing through this metal strip generates a periodic Joule heating source. An infrared detector measures the temperature response at the front surface of the stainless steel strip. The phase and magnitude of the temperature response with respect to the heating signal were measured by a lock-in amplifier at various frequencies from 22 Hz to 502 Hz. A one-dimensional, two-layered transient heat conduction model was developed to predict the temperature response on the front surface of the stainless steel strip. The phase information from this temperature response shows high sensitivity to the change in thermal properties of the liquid layer and is employed to match experimental data to find the thermal properties of the test liquid. The measured thermal conductivities of water and ethylene glycol agree quite well with the data from literature and support the validity of this measurement technique. An aqueous fluid consisting of gold nanoparticles is tested and anomalous thermal conductivity enhancement is observed. A discrepancy in the thermal transport behavior between pure liquids and nanofluids is suggested from our experimental results.
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e-mail: richard.peterson@oregonstate.edu
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Research Papers
A Phase-Sensitive Technique for Measurements of Liquid Thermal Conductivity
Zhefu Wang,
Zhefu Wang
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Oregon State University
, 204 Rogers Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331
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Richard B. Peterson
Richard B. Peterson
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
e-mail: richard.peterson@oregonstate.edu
Oregon State University
, 204 Rogers Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331
Search for other works by this author on:
Zhefu Wang
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Oregon State University
, 204 Rogers Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331
Richard B. Peterson
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Oregon State University
, 204 Rogers Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331e-mail: richard.peterson@oregonstate.edu
J. Heat Transfer. May 2010, 132(5): 051601 (8 pages)
Published Online: March 5, 2010
Article history
Received:
August 29, 2008
Revised:
June 22, 2009
Online:
March 5, 2010
Published:
March 5, 2010
Citation
Wang, Z., and Peterson, R. B. (March 5, 2010). "A Phase-Sensitive Technique for Measurements of Liquid Thermal Conductivity." ASME. J. Heat Transfer. May 2010; 132(5): 051601. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.3211858
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