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Published in Soil Sci Soc Am J 37:828-832 (1973)
© 1973 Soil Science Society of America
677 S. Segoe Rd., Madison, WI 53711 USA
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Air Entrapment as a Possible Source of Error in the Use of a Cylindrical Heat Probe1

N. K. Nagpal and L. Boersma2

ABSTRACT

The cylindrical heat probe is frequently used to measure the thermal conductivity of soils. Its theory is based on the assumption of zero thermal contact resistance at the probe surface. Noncompliance with this assumption could result from air entrapment at the probe surface, at the time of inserting the probe into the porous material. Results of studies are reported which show that the use of the heat probe can yield erroneous results which can be explained on the basis of air entrapment at the probe surface. Additional experiments were carried out to seek information regarding the relationship between thermal conductivity and soil water content for materials made up of different particle sizes. The porous media used consisted of three glass bead size fractions with diameters of 53–74, 74–105, and 149–210 µm obtained by dry sieving. Results of the experiments indicated that at the ambient temperature of 26C the relationship between thermal conductivity and water content was the same for the three size fractions. Experiments were not conducted at other ambient temperatures.

NOTES

1 Technical paper 3552, Oregon Agr. Exp. Sta. Contribution from the Dep. of Soil Science. Research supported by matching fund project B-0001-ORE, Office of Water Resources Research, USDI.

2 Former Research Assistant and Professor, Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, Oregon 97331, respectively.

Received for publication March 27, 1973. Accepted for publication July 17, 1973.






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