A Study on Thermal Conductivity Measurement of Building Materials using Peltier Devices

This study investigates the measurement of thermal
conductivity in building materials utilizing peltier modules. A pair of
peltier modules are employed as both heat and cooling sources, with the
sample material positioned in between. A polymethyl methacrylate
(PMMA) sheet of known thermal conductivity serves as a reference
material to determine the heat transfer rate through the specimens. The
tested materials include cement board, medium-density fiberboard
(MDF), high-moisture-resistant board (HMR), and aerated concrete.
Experimental results reveal average thermal conductivity values of
0.188, 0.105, 0.104, and 0.149 W/m·K for these materials, respectively.
Comparisons between the measured values obtained using the developed
device and reference values from published literature indicate percentage
errors of 9.3%, 4.9%, 4.1%, and 8.1%, respectively. These findings
demonstrate the feasibility and potential accuracy of the proposed
method, suggesting its viability as an alternative approach for measuring
the thermal conductivity of building materials. The development of this
portable thermal conductivity measurement device offers significant
practical advantages for field applications.