Effect of moisture level in plate thermometer insulation on the measurement of incident radiant heat flux
Abstract
The purpose of the current study was to elucidate the fluctuations of calculated heat fluxes based on two independent conditions of the insulation layers of the plate thermometer (PT). An equation developed using ideal surface temperature was used to calculate the incident radiant heat flux from the PT. A Schmidt-Boelter type radiometer was used in validating calculated incident radiant heat flux from the subjected PT. The effect of changing the microphysical properties of insulation layers upon the temperature was investigated in the first phase of the research. The calculated and measured incident radiant heat fluxes seemed to be overlapping with each other in a preheated PT despite the comparatively wider difference between the same parameters of an unheated PT. The second stage was to evaluate the changes of calculated incident radiant heat flux against the inherent moisture percentages of respective insulation layers. Four moisture percentages were identified as conditions representing distinct climatic conditions in Stillwater, Oklahoma; the moisture percentages are equivalent to wood moisture equivalent (%WME) 0, 45, 65, and 98. The results show that there was no significant difference of incident radiant heat fluxes measured with a radiometer and calculated using PT within 0 to 65 %WME. Further, the noticeable difference between the incident radiant heat flux with 98 %WME was caused due to the significant vaporization energy consumed from the moisture inside the PT insulations. The optimum possible weather condition for the highest %EMC was considered. Accuracy of the measured incident radiant heat flux was checked with the respective %WME values. To conclude, the researchers recommended using preheated PT with any moisture percentage under 65 %WME to obtain accurate enough incident radiant heat flux measurements.
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- OSU Theses [15752]