Measurements of the conduction of heat in water vapor, nitrogen and mixtures of these gases in an extended temperature range

Experimental and analytical results are presented from trials with heat conduction in water vapor, nitrogen, and mixtures of the two in a cylindrical heat transfer cell. The pressures examined ranged from 100-0.01 mbar, corresponding to Knudsen numbers of 0.01-100. Formulations are defined for the continuum conditions, the free molecule conditions, the transition region, and the momentum equation solution. Experimentation with an instrumented configuration of an inner and outer cylinder over the temperature range 300-725 K is described, noting the use of a vacuum around the inner, gas-filled container in order to measure the radiative heat losses. The results are useful for predicting heat transfer in high altitude flight or among small droplets in natural fogs, cooling towers, and combustion chambers.