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

Conference ·
OSTI ID:60945
;  [1];  [2]
  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 (ASCE), New York, NY (United States); American Nuclear Society (ANS), La Grange Park, IL (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
AI08-92NV10874
OSTI ID:
60945
Report Number(s):
CONF-940553-Vol.4; TRN: 94:010821-0036
Resource Relation:
Conference: International high-level radioactive waste management conference, Las Vegas, NV (United States), 22-26 May 1994; Other Information: PBD: 1994; Related Information: Is Part Of High Level Radioactive Waste Management: Proceedings of the fifth annual international conference. Volume 4; PB: 1048 p.
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English