Superheating and spontaneous boiling-up of liquid propane (R-290) saturated with helium

• Published in: International journal of refrigeration 2019-02, Vol.98, p.494-499
• Main Authors: Baidakov, V.G., Kaverin, A.M., Pankov, A.S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Attainable superheating; Boiling; Bubble nucleation; Classical nucleation theory; Experiments; Gas-saturated liquids; Helium; Kinetics; Liquides saturés de gaz; Nucleation; Nucléation des bulles; Propane; Propane + Helium solutions; Solutions propane + hélium; Superheating; Surchauffe atteignable; Temperature dependence; Théorie de nucléation classique
• ISSN: 0140-7007; 1879-2081
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2018.11.013

•Lifetimes of superheated liquid helium-saturated propane have been measured.•Both homogeneous and initiated nucleation have been observed.•Dissolution of helium in propane reduces the superheating temperature.•Experimental values of superheating temperature are 0.3–0.7 K lower than theoretical. The method of lifetime measurement has been used to investigate the kinetics of spontaneous boiling-up of superheated liquid propane (R290) with helium dissolved in it. The temperature dependence of the nucleation rate has been determined in the range from J = 3·104 to 108 s−1m−3 at pressures p = 1.6, 1.9 MPa and helium concentrations x = 0.05, 0.11 mol %. The results of experiments have been compared with classical nucleation theory (CNT). At J > 3·106 s−1m−3 the superheating temperatures achieved by experiment are 0.3–0.7 K lower than their theoretical values.