Evaluating a line heat source method using a COMSOL® multiphysics axisymmetric 2D model

Abstract

Research into global warming has increased significantly in the last twenty years due to the pressing nature of environmental concerns, and several transient techniques have been developed to reduce the time and cost of such research. In this work, a non-steady state probe (NSSP), the TP02 Hukseflux® probe with TPSYS02 control interface, was used to determine the thermal conductivity for insulation materials such as glass wool; the experimental processes were calibrated using glycerol as variation of temperature with logarithm of time is linear. The experimental tests were validated using COMSOL Multiphysics® software, and the effects of parameters that cannot be obtained experimentally, such as the component layers of the probe and the length/diameter ratio were also validated using this software. The reference temperature sensor (Pt1000), its position in the base, and how much was inserted into the materials during the experimental testing were thus evaluated. The thickness of the layers of probe material in the radial direction was also simulated in COMSOL to study its effect on the results. The results obtained experimentally were consistent with the results of simulation of COMSOL Multiphysics®.