Numerical simulation of the effect of moisture on the thermal conductivityof porous ceramic materials

A simulation model to analyze the influence of moisture content on the ther mal conductivity of porous ceramic materials is developed based on the nume rical integration of the energy equation. The experimental technique employ ed for thermal conductivity measurements is the hot wire parallel technique . The numerical model proposed is checked by evaluating the thermal conduct ivity of a hypothetical porous ceramic material containing different concen trations of water in its structure. The behaviour of the thermal conductivi ty as a function of temperature, as predicted by the model proposed in this work was experimentally verified by the authors for an unfired refractory concrete. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.