CL 251: Chemical Engineering Lab I

Experiment-09
Thermal Conductivity of Metal Rod

Sagar Chawla
12110081


Abstract:-
The purpose of this experiment is to determine the thermal conductivity of copper rod by using Fourier
law. Voltage across heater is controlled by variac in the power supply. Nine thermocouples were in
experiment. Seven along the length of rod and remaining two were for inlet and outlet. Heat was
transferred to the rod using an electric heater at one end of the rod, and heat was extracted at the
other end using a water-cooled calorimeter. Materials of high thermal conductivity are widely
used in heat sink applications and materials of low thermal conductivity are used as thermal
insulation. Measured value of thermal conductivity of copper is 166.74, which is less than the
original value (332).



Introduction:-
Thermal conductivity is an important physical property of conducting materials, by virtue of
which the material conducts the heat energy through it. The thermal conductivity for a given
material depends on its state and it varies with direction,strucutre,humidity,pressure and
temperature change.Heat conduction is the exchange of thermal energy between warmer and
colder bodies which are in direct contact with each other.Therma conductivity of metal decrease
as its temperature decreases for most of the amorphous solids.
From fourier laws of conduction

Q= rate of heat transfer
A= Area available for heat transfer in the direction perpendicular to the direction of heat flow
dx = Length of heat flow path
dT= Temperature difference across the length of heat flow path
Here minus sign indicate that temperature decreasing along the length of the rod.
Thermal energy can be transported in solids by two mechanism
1. Lattice vibration
2. Transport of free electrons
The mechanism by which heat is conducted in solids is the transmission of energy of vibration
between adjacent atoms or molecules in the direction of decreasing temperature. It is the
prodominant mechanism.
The rate of heat removed from the sample bar by the calorimeter is given by the first law of
thermodynamics

)


Procedure:-
Cooling water chamber inlet line is attached to the tap water line. Other end of the cooling water
line goes to the drainage line. Test piece is started to heating by switching on the band heater and
desired voltage set across the heater. Water is starred to cool and flow rate is adjusted around
300-500 Cm
3
/Sec. Steady state is attained after an hour. Temperature is noted down for all nine
thermocouples.





Result:-
Obs.
No.
Temperature indicated by thermocouple
T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 T9
1 150.0 142.9 127.1 114.8 100.9 85.6 68.7 30.4 28.7








y = -458.03x + 158.66
R = 0.9574
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3
T
T
Linear (T)
Discussion&conclusion:-
Observd value of thermal conductiviy of copper is obtained 166.74, which is very less than
standard value 332.Possible reasons of this difference due to low accuracy of apparatus, reading
taken in unsteady state or some inappropriate condition. From the experiment it is conclude that
the temperature goes on decreasing along the length of the rod. Thermal conductivity of a metal
depends on its dimensions. When length increases thermal conductivity decreases.

Appendix:
Temperature difference of cooling water
= 30.4-28.7=1.7
Diameter of copper rod = .025m
Cross sectional area of pipe = .000491 m2
Cooling water flow rate = 367.63 ml/min
Value of temp. gradient= 458
Amount of heat through rod= (367.63*60/1000)*1*1.6=37.49
K(thermal conductivity)= Q/A*temperature gradient=166.74
References:-
1. http://www.physics.dcu.ie/~jpm/PS128/T1-experiment.pdf
2. Lab manual.