A new thermal conductivity probe for high temperature tests for the characterization of molten salts

A new thermal conductivity probe for high temperature (HT-TCP) has been built and tested. Its design and construction procedure are adapted from the ambient temperature thermal conductivity probe (AT-TCP) due to good performance of the latter device. The construction procedure and the preliminary tests are accurately described. The probe contains a Pt wire as a heater and a type K thermocouple (TC) as a temperature sensor, and its size is so small (0.6 mm in diameter and 60 mm in length) as to guarantee a length to diameter ratio of about 100. Calibration tests with glycerol for temperatures between 0 degrees C and 60 degrees C have shown good agreement with literature data, within 3%. Preliminary tests were also carried on a ternary molten salt for Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) (18% in mass of NaNO3, 52% KNO3, and 30% LiNO3) at 120 degrees C and 150 degrees C. Obtained results are within lambda range of the Hitec (R) salt (53% KNO3, 7% NaNO3, 40% NaNO2). Unfortunately, at the higher temperature tested (200 degrees C), the viscosity of the salt highly decreases, and free convection starts, making the measurements unreliable. Published by AIP Publishing