| 摘要 |
<p>New methods and new katharometer apparatus for the measurement of thermal conductivity of gases are provided. The apparatus employs a single katharometer element (10), that is maintained at a constant operating temperature. If the element (10) temperature changes, changing its resistance, owing to passage of a gas with a different thermal characteristic, an amplifier (32) changes the power supplied to the katharometer element (10) to restore it to the predetermined temperature, the amplifier (32) output being a measure of the gas thermal conductivity. Operation of the apparatus is therefore independent of the resistance/temperature characteristic of the element (10) and is relatively insensitive to ambient temperature changes. Preferably a thermistor is employed as the katharometer element (10). Various operating circuits for the katharometer are disclosed. The invention also provides new operating methods for katharometers to reduce the sensitivity of measurement to thermal leakage and temperture changes to the katharometer body, and to permit the comparison of voltages across a series connected katharometer element (10) and a resistor (18) at a common reference point.</p> |
