Determination of heat transfer properties of media with a single-needle probe

Abstract

Needle probes with a line heater inside are often used in studying the heat transfer properties of loose rocks. The key problem of contact methods of measuring thermal properties of various media consists in finding thermal contact resistance at the probe/medium interface which must be taken into account in determining the thermal diffusivity of the medium. We describe a mathematical model of heating of a long needle probe in the medium under study, taking into account dimensions and thermal properties of the needle source and assuming that thermal contact between the source and the medium is not ideal. Based on the proposed model, we formulate and solve the inverse problem of finding the thermal diffusivity coefficient of the medium and the heat exchange coefficient at the probe/medium interface. The purpose of the article is to create methodology for determining thermal properties of various media in the field.