DEPARTMENT OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION

ANDHRA PRADESH
Name : J Srinivasa Rao
Designation : Lecturer
Branch : D.A.E.I.E
Institute : Govt. Polytechnic, Kothagudem
Year/Semester : VI Sem
Subject : Analytical Instrumentation
Subject Code : AEI-603
Topic : Analysers
Duration : 50 Min
Sub Topic : Thermal conductivity gas analyser
Teaching Aids : PPT, Pictures
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 OBJECTIVES

After the completion of this period you will be able

to know
• Principle

• Construction and Working of Thermal conductivity gas

analyser

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 RECAP

In the previous topic we have studied about

• Principle, construction and working of Electrochemical

gas analyser.

• Now we are going to study about thermal conductivity

gas anlayser.

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• The proportions of the various constituents of a gas

mixture can be determined by measuring its thermal

conductivity.

• The thermal conductivity of various gases is CO2: 0.585,

CO: 0.958, helium: 6.08, Hydrogen: 7.35, Nitrogen: 1.05,

Oxygen: 1.007

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 PRINCIPLE

• The principle of thermal conductivity is that the gases

differ in the ability to conduct heat.

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THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY GAS
ANALYSER

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 Construction and Working

• The most common method of making this measurement

involves the use of a hot wire thermal conductivity gas
analyzer cell.
• The cell consists of two chambers, each containing a
wire filament.
• In one chamber the gas whose conductivity is to be
measured is made to flow through it and the other
chamber is sealed and contains a reference gas such as
air.

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• The usual practice is to use two cells (four chambers)

each cell containing two wire filaments.

• In one cell gas flows and the other is a reference cell.

• The measuring circuit is a Wheatstone bridge.

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• When a gas of different thermal conductivity passes

through the reference cell the bridge will be unbalanced.

• The galvanometer of the Wheatstone bridge is calibrated

to measure the thermal conductivity.

• Thermal conductivity gas analyzer is conveniently suited

for the analysis of binary gas mixtures.

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 Applications

• To measure hydrogen in blast furnace gases.

• To determine argon in oxygen in the process of air

decomposition.

• To find sulphurdioxide in the production of sulphuric acid.

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 Summary
• The principle of thermal conductivity is that the gases
differ in the ability to conduct heat.
• The cell consists of two chambers, each containing a
wire filament.
• In one chamber the gas whose conductivity is to be
measured is made to flow through it and the other
chamber is sealed and contains a reference gas such as
air.
• The measuring circuit is a Wheatstone bridge.

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 Quiz

The thermal conductivity gas analyser is based on

the principle of
• Conduction of gases
• Radiation of gases
• Convection of gases
• All of the above

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 Frequently asked questions

• Explain the principle construction and working of

Thermal conductivity gas analyser.

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