Decagon Devices KD2 Pro, Operator'S Manual

Page 1: ...KD2 Pro Thermal Properties Analyzer Operator s Manual Version 10...

Page 2: ...Devices Inc 2365 NE Hopkins Ct Pullman WA 99163 USA Tel 1 509 332 2756 Fax 1 509 332 5158 Trademarks KD2 Pro is a registered trademark of Decagon Devices Inc 2008 2011 Decagon Devices Inc All rights r...

Page 3: ...KD2 Pro Overview 4 Specifications 4 Keypad Operation 6 Choosing a Sensor 7 Installing the Sensors 13 Measurements In Concrete 14 Measurements In Insulation 14 3 The Menus 15 The Main Menu 15 Taking a...

Page 4: ...ng 41 5 Good Practices 43 6 Measuring Liquids 46 Liquid Sample Temperature Control 48 7 Care and Maintenance 50 Cleaning Caring for the Sensors 50 Changing the Batteries 50 Troubleshooting 51 Verifyin...

Page 5: ...uctivity and resistivity while the dual needle sensor also measures volumetric specific heat capacity and diffusivity Further details about the measure ments and how they re made are given in chapters...

Page 6: ...ective parts shall in no event exceed the furnishing of replacement parts F O B the factory where originally manufactured Material and equipment cov ered hereby which is not manufactured by Seller sha...

Page 7: ...is will allow Decagon s repair staff to keep track of your KD2 Pro Once you have acquired an RMA send your KD2 Pro to Decagon Please include a document listing the complete shipping address name and d...

Page 8: ...m functionality Specifications Operating Environment Controller 0 to 50 C Sensors 50 to 150 C Power 4 AA cells Battery Life At least 500 readings in constant use or 3 years with no use battery drain i...

Page 9: ...W m K thermal conductivity 25 to 1000 C cm W thermal resistivity Accuracy Conductivity 10 from 0 2 4 W m K 0 02 W m K from 0 1 0 2 W m K Cable length 0 8 m 30 mm dual needle SH 1 Size 1 3 mm diameter...

Page 10: ...left below the screen this key activates and deactivates the KD2 Pro Note The device will automatically turn off if not used for more than 10 minutes except while running in Auto Mode MENU Located to...

Page 11: ...th three separate sensors each of which is designed for measurements in specific sample types KS 1 The small 60 mm long 1 3 mm diameter single needle KS 1 sensor measures thermal conductivity and ther...

Page 12: ...hould not measure liquid samples with the TR 1 sensor The large diameter of the TR 1 is more robust than the KS 1 meaning that it is less likely to be damaged by normal usage conditions in soil or oth...

Page 13: ...the sensor and the sample in granular and solid materials If you wish to measure thermal properties of a sample with large grains or of a solid sample with a pilot hole that is significantly larger in...

Page 14: ...dles in low power mode with 10 min read time give good results with insulation Heater tempera tures with high power mode are quite high for insulation mea surements Sample Material KS 1 TR 1 SH 1 Low...

Page 15: ...r mode or low power mode In high power mode the KD2 Pro applies a relatively large heating current to the sen sor during a measurement resulting in greater sensor heating In low power mode the KD2 Pro...

Page 16: ...likely to cause phase change melting of the frozen sample One situation where we do recommend a non default power mode setting is the measurement of thermal con ductivity of snow In this case we reco...

Page 17: ...beyond repair If the needle becomes bent do not bend it back contact Decagon for a replacement Good thermal contact between the sensors and the medium being measured is critical for accurate mea surem...

Page 18: ...ime The long read time minimizes contact resistance errors and the low heat of the KS 1 needle reduces free convection errors In foam insulation a hole should be drilled for the probe Simply pushing i...

Page 19: ...in Menu is responsible for taking measurements from whatever medium a sensor is inserted into What you see 1 The thermal property reading and the currently selected unit The type of reading is indicat...

Page 20: ...The purpose of the Main Menu is to take measurements The next section will explain how to do this Taking a Measurement It is easy to take measurements with the KD2 Pro Do the fol lowing to make a meas...

Page 21: ...ermometer is rising heat is applied to the nee dle and when it is falling heat is off A progress bar shows the elapsed time 5 When the progress bar has fully darkened the results are displayed as foll...

Page 22: ...g Discard Cancel the current reading and return to the main screen NOTE If the data memory is full or the sample temper ature was unstable during a reading an error message is displayed at the bottom...

Page 23: ...ad enough time to equilibrate from the previous reading and the resulting measurement will be inaccurate For best results the sample should be as close to equilibrium as possible A good environment fo...

Page 24: ...a to your computer very easy In general you should use the KD2 Pro Utility to download data instead of the download option on the KD2 Pro If you are unable to use the KD2 Pro Utility you can use ter m...

Page 25: ...se all stored data will appear 2 Press Enter again to erase the memory or Escape if you decide not to continue Erasing will be displayed as data is being removed which usually takes about 6 sec onds 3...

Page 26: ...s number 4 Press Enter to move to the next number and repeat step 3 If you need to return to the previous number press Escape 5 When you have finished changing the last number press Enter and you will...

Page 27: ...ugh and change the current unit and measurement type NOTE Readings in watts per meters degree Celsius W m C are the same as readings in watts per meters Kelvin W m K as Celsius and Kelvin degrees are...

Page 28: ...expert user and are making a specialized measurement To change the power mode select the sensor and press enter to toggle between high and low power mode Press ESC or MENU to accept the changes and ex...

Page 29: ...ngs automatically You can select a measurement time in intervals of 15 minutes The reading will be taken in the cur rently selected units from the Main Menu and will begin as soon as you select this o...

Page 30: ...n be set either in the CONFIG menu or in the KD2 Pro Utility NOTE When the spinner icon is visible press the arrow keys to change the interval time 8 Hourglass icon indicating that time is elapsing un...

Page 31: ...terfacing with the KD2 Pro Use this program to download measurement data to your computer erase measurement data stored in the KD2 Pro set the date and time configure the KD2 Pro to take readings auto...

Page 32: ...ion of www deca gon com Downloading Data This will transfer all saved measurement data on the KD2 Pro to your computer Do the following 1 Make sure the RS 232 cable is connected to the KD2 Pro and to...

Page 33: ...select where it will be saved to and in what format You may choose between the fol lowing for mats Microsoft Excel Workbook xls Comma delimited csv Tab delimited txt Raw data also txt 5 Click Save to...

Page 34: ...Date and time when the reading was taken Sensor The model number of the sensor used for this reading K Thermal Conductivity as W m k or BTU hr ft F rho Thermal Resistivity as C cm W or hr ft F BTU C S...

Page 35: ...d For instance if a one minute read time has been selected each of the 60 temperature readings are at 1 second intervals while a 5 minute read time produces 60 temperature readings at 5 sec ond interv...

Page 36: ...tton please refer to the Troubleshooting section for instructions 4 A progress bar shows the status of the erase process Setting the Date and Time You can set the KD2 Pro s date and time by selecting...

Page 37: ...nnect your KD2 Pro to an available serial communica tion port on your computer Select the name of your cho sen serial port in the Use computer communication port control 2 Choose Configure Auto Mode f...

Page 38: ...ill start Number of Measurements This is the total number of measurements that you want the KD2 Pro to make while in Auto Mode The number is between 1 and the amount of available memory As you change...

Page 39: ...on the Start button The KD2 Pro Utility will then send your settings to the KD2 Pro 5 Unplug the serial cable from the KD2 Pro then connect the desired thermal properties sensor to the instrument Your...

Page 40: ...KD2 Pro Utility features four main menus These allow you to change program settings as well as settings on the KD2 Pro Below is a description of each menu and their func tions File Download Summary Da...

Page 41: ...e units used on the KD2 Pro You can also choose to override the set tings in the KD2 Pro and save your measurement data using either SI metric or English units Column Headers This option includes colu...

Page 42: ...automatically try re sending commu nications commands up to 10 Maximum Baud Rate You can set the maximum baud rate for talking to your KD2 Pro Choose a lower baud rate if you are not getting reliable...

Page 43: ...eck engine It will notify you when a newer version is available when your computer is connected to the internet You can turn off the automatic check by un checking this option You can manually check f...

Page 44: ...iew KD2 Pro Information Displays information about your KD2 Pro See Viewing KD2 Pro Information section ear lier in this chapter for more information Help Help Accesses the KD2 Pro Utility help file w...

Page 45: ...nk any other programs are running SOLUTION Some PDA synchronization software monitor serial communication ports Disable Microsoft s ActiveSync or Palm s HotSync system software while using the serial...

Page 46: ...connection can disrupt the con nection between the Utility and the KD2 Pro If this error happens regularly you can try setting your baud rate lower or increasing the number of times a command is sent...

Page 47: ...thermally driven redistribu tion of moisture in the sample The temperature change from heating may therefore be only a few tenths of a degree Sample temperature changes during the measure ment period...

Page 48: ...thermal resistance between the heated sensor and the material into which the sensor is inserted This extra resistance is called a contact resistance and it decreases the thermal conductivity value reg...

Page 49: ...dle spacing on the dual needle sensor is critical for accurate measurements A 1 change in needle spacing results in a 2 error in measure ment of diffusivity and specific heat A guide is provided for m...

Page 50: ...and SH 1 sensors are not designed for thermal properties measurement in liq uids and will not give accurate results in those materials Convective heat exchange in fluids can be broken down into two ca...

Page 51: ...figure the KD2 Pro in auto mode and make measurements overnight after turning off the HVAC system and any other lab equipment that might cause vibrations The KD2 Pro KS 1 sensor is specially designed...

Page 52: ...avoided when measuring thermal properties of heated or cooled samples Do not heat the sample from the bottom e g on a hot plate The temperature gradient from the heating will cause free convection Do...

Page 53: ...ely still and make the measurement NOTE Experimental results from researchers have shown that the KD2 Pro KS 1 sensor can make accurate measurements in water and aqueous solutions up to about 50 C Abo...

Page 54: ...this may break it You will need to contact Decagon to obtain a replacement sensor Changing the Batteries Although the KD2 Pro has been designed to provide an excel lent battery lifespan the batteries...

Page 55: ...ure and that none of the connector pins are bent or broken off If the KD2 Pro still fails to recog nize the sensor the sensor may be malfunctioning Contact Decagon for more assistance Verifying Sensor...

Page 56: ...rease the accuracy of the measurement It is best to place the needle and vial in an isothermal environment e g insu lated chamber or cooler and allow 15 minutes of equilibra tion time before taking th...

Page 57: ...users we have character ized the temperature dependence of the thermal conductivity of the black plastic TR 1 verification cylinder Measurements were collected on three black plastic cylinders from di...

Page 58: ...ps 100 times its diameter It would be in intimate con tact with the surrounding material and would measure the temperature of the material during heating and cooling Ide ally the temperature and compo...

Page 59: ...uired for a measurement Heat input is minimized to minimize water movement and free convection Use of relatively short heat ing times and low heating rates requires high resolution tem perature measur...

Page 60: ...exponential integral Abramowitz and Stegun 1972 and bo b1 and b2 are the constants to be fit To is the temperature at the start of the measurement and q is the heat input The first equation applies fo...

Page 61: ...iling to find a global minimum in some prob lems the single needle problem is a perfect example of a bad non linear least squares problem but the dual needle problem typically works well Finding just...

Page 62: ...hese equations are long time approximations to the exponential integral equations eq 1 we use only the final 2 3 of the data collected ignore early time data during heating and cooling This approach h...

Page 63: ...1 Carslaw H S and J C Jaeger 1959 Conduction of Heat in Solids 2nd Edition Oxford London 2 Abramowitz M and I A Stegun 1972 Handbook of math ematical functions Dover Publications Inc New York 3 Marqu...

Page 64: ...Probe Method for Measure ments in Granular Materials Part 1 Theory High Temper atures High Pressures 15 359 366 Shiozawa S Campbell G S 1990 Soil Thermal Conductiv ity Remote Sensing Rev 5 301 310 van...

Page 65: ...000952 BTU 1054 heat Joule 0 239 cal 4 186 heat flux density W m2 0 00143 cal cm2 min 698 thermal conductivity W m K 0 578 BTU hr ft F 1 73 thermal conductivity W m K 6 93 BTU in hr ft2 F 0 144 therma...

Page 66: ...w you want us to respond to your feedback E mail or Telephone Use the description area to give details for your feedback If you are reporting a bug it is very helpful for you to tell us what steps you...

Page 67: ...ullman Washington 99163 USA Type of Equipment Thermal Properties Meter Model Number KD2 Pro Year of First Manufacture 2006 This is to certify that the KD2 Pro Thermal Properties Meter manufactured by...

Page 68: ...ate 18 Auto clock synchronize 40 Auto mode 25 Auto mode setting 33 B Batteries changing 50 life span 4 Baud rate 39 C CE compliance 63 Clock auto synchronize 40 Command retries 38 Communications baud...

Page 69: ...63 Download procedure 20 Download all 20 Download summary 20 Downloading data 28 E Erase data 21 Erasing data 21 32 Error log file 40 F Force find all comm ports 39 G Good Practices 43 K KD2 overview...

Page 70: ...for data files 37 retreiving status information 36 saved data organization 30 setting date time 32 troubleshooting 41 version checks 39 Keypad button descriptions 6 L Liquids measuring liquids 46 temp...

Page 71: ...instructions 3 S Save 18 Saving data 30 Seller s liability 2 Sensors accuracy 4 cleaning 50 installing 13 types 7 verifying performance 51 Septum 52 Software updates 39 Specifications 4 T Taking a me...

Page 72: ...KD2 Pro Operator s Manual Index 68 setting 23 V View readings 19 W Warranty 2...