Silica aerogels have extremely low thermal conductivities, potentially making them effective thermal insulators. In this study, the thermal conductivities of various samples were explored using the Transient Plane Source (TPS) Method. Samples of the silica aerogels were approximately 1.3 cm thick and between 4.1-4.3 cm in diameter, and were tested at different temperatures. Results showed that as the temperature of the samples increased from 25-50 °C, thermal conductivity increased exponentially. As ...
The effects of solid phase thermal conductivity, pore thermal conductivity, and pore volume fraction on the measured effective thermal conductivity of porous ceramics with pore volume fractions of 4 to 95% were investigated. The experimental results were then compared with pre-existing numerical models. It was found that the Maxwell-Eucken relation for closed porosity and the Landauer relation for open porosity were able to closely predict the effective thermal conductivity for tin oxide, ...
Previously, the thermal conductivity of extruded monoliths, ceramic foams and metal structures were determined for their application as open volumetric receivers in concentrated solar radiation. Volumetric receivers contain a porous material, which is ultimately heated through solar radiation. The pores allow ambient air flow through the material, which will eventually reach a temperature of 700˚C. This heat is then used to feed the steam turbine process. Understanding the effect of ...
