METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MEASURING FLUID THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY

A heating sensor is disposed within a pipe with a clearance between an inner wall of the pipe and an outer surface of the heating sensor such that a measurement of thermal conductivity is free from any influence of a convective heat transfer. Temperatures of the fluid and the heating sensor are measured and a differential temperature therebetween in steady state heating is determined. A correlation is established between the differential temperature and a thermal conductivity of the fluid and is utilized to obtain the thermal conductivity of this fluid.