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ASTM Selected Technical Papers
Heat Transmission Measurements in Thermal Insulations
By
RP Tye
RP Tye
1
Manager
, Testing Services,
Dynatech R/D Co.
,
Cambridge, Mass. symposium chairman
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ISBN-10:
0-8031-0372-7
ISBN:
978-0-8031-0372-6
No. of Pages:
317
Publisher:
ASTM International
Publication date:
1974

The ASTM Test for Thermal Conductivity of Materials by Means of the Guarded Hot Plate (C 177-63) is a recognized technique for measurement of thermal conductance of insulations. This method may not be the optimum choice due to temperature range, material availability, and other factors. This paper describes three other steady-state techniques that may be used. Two are modifications of the basic comparative rod apparatus, and the third is a modification of the radial inflow apparatus. The two modifications of the comparative rod apparatus are designed to minimize or monitor or both the axial heat bypass and radial heat interchange effects. The modification to the radial inflow apparatus converts a cylindrical specimen to obtain heat flows through a plane surface. These modifications represent an improvement in the state of the art.

The advantages of these procedures over the ASTM C 177-63 apparatus are smaller specimen size and wider temperature range. The disadvantages are that the precision and accuracy are not as good as that for the ASTM C 177-63 apparatus; however, an acceptable level for most engineering data may be obtained (< ±12 percent).

Data on various candidates for the reusable surface insulation of the shuttle were measured by these methods and are reported.

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Smyly
,
E. D.
and
Pears
,
C. D.
,
Properties of Ablation and Insulation Materials
, Vol.
1
, NASA CR-111912,
06
1971
.
2.
Flynn
,
D. R.
, “
Thermal Guarding of Cut-Bar Apparatus
,” Conference on Thermal Conductivity Methods, Battelle Memorial Institute,
1961
.
3.
Robinson
,
H. E.
, “
Thermal Conductivity Reference Standards
,”
Proceedings
, Second Conference on Thermal Conductivity,
1962
.
4.
Engelke
,
W. T.
,
Robertson
,
R. W.
,
Bush
,
A. L.
, and
Pears
,
C. D.
, “
The Thermal and Mechanical Properties of a Low-Density Elastomeric Ablation Material
,” NASA Contractor Report CR-132281.
5.
Flynn
,
D. R.
in
Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Ceramics
,
Wachtman
,
J. B.
 Jr.
, Ed.,
National Bureau of Standards
, Publication 303,
Washington, D. C.
,
05
1969
, pp. 63–123.
6.
Legg
,
J. K.
,
Sanders
,
H. G.
,
Engelke
,
W. T.
, and
Pears
,
C. D.
, “
Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Advanced Heatshield Resinous (CP) and Carbonaceous (CC) Composites
,” AMFL Report TR-72-160, Vol.
1
.
7.
Sanders
,
H. G.
,
Smyly
,
E. D.
, and
Pears
,
C. D.
, “
An Investigation of Some Thermal and Mechanical Properties of a Low-Density Phenolic-Nylon Ablation Material
, NASA Contractor Report CR-66731.
8.
Larkin
,
B. K.
and
Churchill
,
S. W.
,
American Institute of Chemical Engineers Journal
, Vol
5
, No.
4
,
12
1959
, pp. 467–474.
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Vershoor
,
J. D.
and
Greebler
,
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,
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 0097-6822, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Vol.
74
,
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, pp. 961–968.
10.
Hughes
,
T. A.
,
Tinford
,
H. R.
,
Schmitt
,
R. J.
, and
Christensen
,
H. E.
, “
Radiant Heat Transfer in Reusable Surface Insulation
,” presented to the Symposium on Reusable Surface Insulation for Thermal Protection of the Space Shuttle, Ames Research Center,
11
1972
.
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