Fully automated system for simultaneous measurement of thermal conductivity and heat capacity from 4 to 300 K

Abstract

A fully automated system which is capable of measuring specific heat and thermal conductivity simultaneously from liquid helium to room temperature is presented. Thermal conductivity is measured by a steady-state longitudinal heat flow technique, and specific heat by a thermal relaxation method. A numerical simulation of the one-dimensional heat flow equation is used to examine the basic operational principle. The method is tested using GE 214 fused quartz and AISI 304 stainless-steel rods, and the results compare favorably with values quoted in the literature.