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Thermal conductivity measurements of coarse-grained gravel materials using a hollow cylindrical sensor

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Abstract

We report on new results for the thermal conductivity of granular materials, in particular large-grained gravels. For these measurements, a cylindrical-shaped heated sensor was developed and used, which allows to include gravels with grain sizes in the several centimeter size range into the investigation. Such materials are, among else, important as construction materials for road and railway embankments. Measurements were done at different gas pressure levels (from normal atmospheric level down to the millibar range) and for dry and wet conditions. The results of the low pressure measurements may become relevant in view of possible applications on other planetary bodies, like at the surface of the planet Mars, which will be explored in the coming decade by in situ geotechnical methods.

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Notes

  1. Another interesting experiment series, which is, however, beyond the scope of the present paper, would be to use CO2-gas instead of N2. This would more closely simulate the Martian environment.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Austrian Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung under project L317-N14.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Schmiedlstrasse 6, 8042, Graz, Austria

    Norbert I. Kömle & Erika S. Hütter

  2. State Key Laboratory of Frozen Soil Engineering, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute (CAREERI), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China

    Wenjie J. Feng

Authors
  1. Norbert I. Kömle
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  2. Erika S. Hütter
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  3. Wenjie J. Feng
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Correspondence to Norbert I. Kömle.

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Kömle, N.I., Hütter, E.S. & Feng, W.J. Thermal conductivity measurements of coarse-grained gravel materials using a hollow cylindrical sensor. Acta Geotech. 5, 211–223 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-010-0126-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-010-0126-z

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