Low-temperature flow visualization of thermally-convecting liquid helium
Abstract
We discuss low-temperature flow visualization of thermal convection in 3-He-superfluid 4-He mixtures. Density differences induced by the spatially-varying temperature field of the convecting fluid are imaged using the optical shadowgraph method. Details of the construction of the convection cell and the implementation of optical shadowgraph at low temperatures are presented. Results are shown for strongly turbulent flows to demonstrate the methods.
- Publication:
-
NASA STI/Recon Technical Report N
- Pub Date:
- April 1991
- Bibcode:
- 1991STIN...9125376S
- Keywords:
-
- Convection Cells;
- Flow Visualization;
- Fluid Flow;
- Free Convection;
- Helium Isotopes;
- Liquid Helium;
- Superfluidity;
- Turbulent Flow;
- Critical Temperature;
- Cryogenics;
- Mixtures;
- Navier-Stokes Equation;
- Prandtl Number;
- Shadowgraph Photography;
- Temperature Distribution;
- Thermodynamic Properties;
- Fluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer