The Grueneisen parameter in fluids

The application of the parameter developed by Grueneisen (1926) to relate the lattice vibrational spectra and thermodynamic properties of solids to the hydrodynamics of compressible fluids is investigated analytically, extending the scope of the analysis of Arp (1975). The time-dependent hydrodynamic equations utilizing the Grueneisen parameter (GP) are derived for Newtonian fluids; the special case of steady flow in a conduit is examined; and a number of specific fluids and fluid conditions are analyzed. Some numerical results are presented in tables and graphs. The GP is shown to be an easily parameterized minimally varying function of the fluid state, with a value of about 1 for order-of-magnitude estimates in practical problems. The similarity of the definition of the GP to that of the isentropic exponent k (the reciprocal of the isentropic compressibility Ks) is pointed out by Sullivan in the discussion.