SARAH ACKERMANN1 AND JACK LAMBOURNE21THERMAL ANALYSIS LABS2DUBLIN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY ANALYSIS OF SEAWEED SAMPLES FOR APPLICATION IN BIO-BASED INSULATION MATERIALS

OUTLINE

• Bio-based insulation materials History Seaweed as bio-based insulation

• Methodology Modified Transient Plane Source (MTPS) technique

of thermal conductivity analysis Effect of pressure on compressible materials Experimental design

• Results• Conclusions and Future Work

BIO-BASED INSULATION

• Used widely throughout history from moss and sod and thatch in the Europe, to peat in Greenland and Newfoundland and others

• Seaweed houses traditionally used in China and Denmark, among others

http://column.chinadaily.com.cn/en/article.php?pid=5403

http://www.gizmag.com/modern-seaweed-house-vandkunsten/28529/

SEAWEED INSULATION

• Posidonia oceanica Neptune Grass Commercial application

(NeptuTherm) Naturally attractive

form• Zostera marina

Very common Commercial application

(Seegrasshandel) Plentiful and renewable

http://www.mycozyhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/cabots-quilt.jpg

http://www.gizmag.com/neptune-balls-seaweed-insulation/26581/

TCi PROPERTY ANALYZERThermal Conductivity Range0 to 500 W/mK

Thermal Effusivity Range 5 to 40,000 Ws½/m²K

No Sample Preparation Unlimited sample sizes

Non-DestructiveLeaves sample intact

Versatile Tests solids, liquids, powders & pastes

Highly Flexible Designed for lab, QC & at-line testing

AccuracyBetter than 5%

PrecisionBetter than 1%

NEW

Temperature Range -50˚C to 200˚C

MODIFIED TRANSIENT PLANE SOURCE (MTPS)

1. The TCi™ sensor applies heat to the sample.2. The patented Guard Ring technology ensures heat flow

into the sample is one-directional. 3. The sample absorbs & removes only some of the heat,

causing a temperature rise at the sensor

PRESSURE

COMPRESSION TEST ACCESSORY

ACCURACY VERIFICATION

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN• 3 plentiful, non-toxic Irish seaweeds targeted:

Laminaria digitata Fucus vesiculosus Ascophyllum nodosum

• 3 pressures targeted: 500 gf 1000 gf 1400 gf

• This allows investigation of innate thermal conductivity and compacted thermal conductivity

BLADDER WRACK

500 1000 14000.033

0.034

0.035

0.036

0.037

0.038

0.039

Force (gf)

Ther

mal

Con

ducti

vity

EGG WRACK

500 1000 14000.033

0.034

0.035

0.036

0.037

0.038

0.039

Force (gf)

Ther

mal

Con

ducti

vity

(W/m

K)

KELP

Bladder Wrack Egg Wrack Kelp0

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.0351788643701174 0.0347752012707033

0.170069476734986

Ther

mal

Con

ducti

vity

(W/m

K)

COMPARISON OF EGG WRACK AND BLADDER WRACK

500 1000 14000.033

0.034

0.035

0.036

0.037

0.038

0.039

Bladder WrackEgg Wrack

Force (gf)

Ther

mal

Con

ducti

vity

(W/m

K)

CONCLUSIONS

• Bladder wrack and egg wrack are both good candidates for further development in bio-based insulation panels

• Thermal conductivity is on par with commercially-available insulation materials.

• Kelp is a poor candidate, owing to its high affinity for water Drying techniques such as roasting may be

examined but likely will be uneconomical• Further work is needed to develop bio-based

insulation panels and examine other candidate seaweeds