Scientific Research and Essays Vol. 2 (4), 122-126, April 2007          
ISSN 1992-2248 © 2007 Academic Journals

Full Length Research Paper

A device for thermal conductivity measurement in a developing economy

I. O. Owate*, O. E. Abumere and G.O. Avwiri

Department of Physics,University of Port Harcourt,Choba, Rivers State, Nigeria.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: owateio@yahoo.com

Accepted 5 March, 2007

Thermal conductivities of copper, aluminium and brass materials have been determined using a system designed, constructed and tested. The system is a modified form of Smith’s thermal conductivity apparatus which has been widely applied in normal laboratory (1-3). It consists of a heating chamber (made by sandwiching heating coil within ceramic thermal insulators), sample holder region and the cold end area. The thermal conductivities of copper, aluminium, and brass were measured using the system and the results obtained were compared statistically with other standards. It was observed that the measured thermal conductivity values were 397.4 ± 2.2, 238.0 ± 1.3 and 110.2 ± 1.2 Wm^-1 K^-1 for copper, aluminium and brass respectively. These results compared relatively well with other standard values. Such values are in order 396,236 and 109 Wm^-1K^-1. The results obtained certified the aim of the work which was to fabricate a thermal conductivity measurement system suitable for data collection and experimental experience in a developing economic environment. Consequently, the analysis shows that the device can be reproduced for thermal conductivity measurements in a developing laboratory experimental environment.

Key words: Thermal conductivity, aluminum, copper, brass and design.