Evaluation of a 6-wire thermocouple psychrometer for determination of in-situ water potentials

Conference · Sat Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:60945

Loskot, C L; Rousseau, J P ^[1]; Kurzmack, M A ^[2]

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1. Geological Survey, Denver, CO (United States)
2. Foothill Engineering Consultants, Golden, CO (United States)

A 6-wire, Peltier-type thermocouple psychrometer was designed and evaluated by the U.S. Geological Survey for monitoring in-situ water potentials in dry-drilled boreholes in the unsaturated zone at Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada. The psychrometer consists of a wet-bulb, chromel-constantan, sensing junction and a separate dry-bulb, copper-constantan, reference junction. Two additional reference junctions are formed where the chromel and constantan wires of the wet-bulb sensing junction are soldered to separate, paired, copper, lead wires. In contrast, in the standard 3-wire thermocouple psychrometer, both the wet bulb and dry bulb share a common wire. The new design has resulted in a psychrometer that has an expanded range and greater reliability, sensitivity, and accuracy compared to the standard model.

• Research Organization: American Society of Civil Engineers, New York, NY (United States); American Nuclear Society, La Grange Park, IL (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AI08-92NV10874
• OSTI ID: 60945
• Report Number(s): CONF-940553--Vol.4
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05 NUCLEAR FUELS
44 INSTRUMENTATION
INCLUDING NUCLEAR AND PARTICLE DETECTORS
BOREHOLES
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PSYCHROMETRY
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RELIABILITY
SENSITIVITY
SITE CHARACTERIZATION
YUCCA MOUNTAIN
Yucca Mountain Project