Assessment of the thermal-probe technique for rapid, accurate measurements of effective thermal conductivities

Abstract

The theoretical basis for the probe method has been investigated. The accuracies and repeatabilities of thermal-probe instruments have been determined using measurements with paraffin wax. Determinations made with this technique, for masonry and structural components, were found to agree well with the manufacturers' thermal conductivity data. However, further developments need to be made to improve the usefulness of this technique for measuring the effective conductivities of fibrous insulants.