Survey topics include - heat transfer boundaries of near critical region, free, natural, and forced convection experiments, oscillations, geometric effects, parameters which appear to be significant to heat transfer in critical region, and theories which have been proposed for region

Hendricks, R. C.

Simoneau, R. J.

Smith, R. V.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

July 1971	 Brief 71-10262 
NASA TECH BRIEF 
Lewis Research Center	 A A 
NASA Tech Briefs announce new technology derived from the U.S. space program. They are issued to encourage 
commercial application. Tech Briefs are available on a subscription basis from the National Technical Information 
Service, Springfield,' Virginia 22151. Requests for individual copies or questions relating to the. Tech Brief program may 
be directed to the Technology Utilization Office, NASA, Code KT, Washington, D.C. 20546. 
Survey of Heat Transfer to Near Critical Fluids 
A survey and analysis was conducted on heat 
transfer to fluids in near critical conditions. The 
topics covered include the following: heat transfer 
boundaries of the near critical region; free, natural, 
and forced convection experiments; oscillations; 
geometric effects; parameters which appear to be 
significant to heat transfer in the critical region; 
and theories which have been proposed for the 
region. Although the state-of-the-art is such that 
completely satisfactory theories or correlations are 
not available for heat transfer in the critical region, 
this survey indicates the most promising and widely 
used correlations and suggests procedures for 
approaching a critical point heat transfer problem. 
The survey brings together information on the 
near critical region, examines these data from a 
designer's point of view, and examines the flow 
mechanisms underlying the behavior. 
Transport processes, particularly heat transfer, 
in the near critical region have been of interest for 
approximately 15 years. Current interest stems from 
applications which require the use of a fluid in the 
near critical condition, from information that is 
too incomplete to produce satisfactory design 
expressions, and from an inadequate understanding 
of the mechanics which produce the peculiar be-
havior in the near critical region. 
Current or proposed applications include the use 
of near critical helium to cool the coils of super-
conducting electromagnets and superconducting 
electronic or power-transmission equipment, the 
use of supercritical hydrogen as a working fluid 
or fuel for both chemical and nuclear rockets, the 
use of supercritical water in electricity generating 
plants, and the use of methane as a coolant and 
fuel for supersonic aircraft.
Theoretical heat-transfer analyses have not, 
in general, been successful; however, this approach 
still shows promise for solving questions relating 
to the near critical region. By contrast, flow 
oscillations characteristic of this region have been 
examined analytically and found to be reasonably 
well predicted by using rather conventional 
concepts in mechanics. 
Notes: 
1. The following documentation may be obtained 
from: 
National Technical Information Service 
Springfield, Virginia 22151 
Single document price $3.00 
(or microfiche $0.95) 
Reference: 
NASA-TN-D-5886 (N71-13035), Survey of 
Heat Transfer to Near Critical Fluids 
2. Technical questions may be directed to: 
Technology Utilization Officer 
Lewis Research Center 
21000 Brookpark Road 
Cleveland, Ohio 44135 
Reference: B71-10262 
Patent status: 
No patent action is contemplated by NASA. 
Source: R. V. Smith of

National Bureau of Standards, and

R. C. Hendricks and R. J. Simoneau

Lewis Research Center

(LEW-1 1289)

Category 03 
This documeic't was prepared under the sponsorship of the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration. Neither the United States 
Government nor any person acting on behalf of the United States
Government assumes any liability resulting from the use of the 
information contained in this document, or warrants that such use 
will be free from privately owned-rights.
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19710000261 2020-03-17T02:21:13+00:00Z


Survey of heat transfer to near critical fluids

Survey of heat transfer to near-critical fluid

Survey of heat transfer to near critical fluids

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