Development of an in situ thermal conductivity measurement system for exploration of the shallow subsurface

In this study, we attempted to develop an in situ thermal conductivity measurement system that can be used for subsurface thermal exploration. A new thermal probe was developed for mapping both the spatial and temporal variability of thermal conductivity, via direct push methods in the unconsolidated shallow subsurface. A robust, hollow cylindrical probe was constructed and its performance was tested by carrying out thermal conductivity measurements on materials with known properties. The thermal conductivity of the investigated materials can be worked out by measuring the active power consumption (in alternating current system) and temperature of the probe over fixed time intervals. A calibration method was used to eliminate any undesired thermal effects regarding the size of the probe, based on mobile thermal analyzer thermal conductivity values. Using the hollow cylindrical probe, the thermal conductivity results obtained had an error of less than 2.5% for solid samples (such as Teflon, Agar Jelly and Nylatron).