Abstract— Thermal conductivity is basically the property of a material that allows the flow of heat through the material. It is also known as the coefficient of conductivity, because it is given as a number that can be used in equations. The thermal conductivity of any particular material, it indicates how well it allows heat to flow, is therefore also a good indicator of how well the material insulates, or blocks the flow of heat. Objectives of this paper are to determine the thermal conductivity of the given insulating material by using lagged pipe apparatus (Asbestos and Sawdust) and to plot the temperature distribution across the lagging material. Lagging of pipes is required to prevent leakages of heat. The Apparatus is designed to study the lagging phenomenon. The apparatus consists of three concentric pipes, at the axis of which a heating element is positioned. Two types of lagging materials are filled up, one between innermost and middle pipe and other between middle and outermost pipe. Temperature across the lagging material, i.e., temperature of pipe walls for radial outward heat flow are measured by the thermocouples. The heater can be supplied with different heat inputs with the help of dimmer stat so that characteristics of lagged pipe can be studied at different heat flow rates.

Index Terms— Heat transfer, Thermal insulation, Thermal conductivity, Asbestos and saw dust, Lagged pipe

Cite: N B Totala, Pravin Arjun Kasab, Ravi Babasaheb Rathod and Swapnil Sanjay Gunde, " Thermal Conductivity Determination by Lagged Pipe Apparatus," International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Robotics Research, Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 26-32, April 2014.