Abstract Proposal Number: CTS-9806725 Principal Investigator: S. Van Sciver Helium II, or superfluid helium, is a unique fluid existing below 2.2K. Among other properties, He II has an extremely high heat conductivity and obeys a non-linear heat equation. This property has encouraged the use of He II in a number of technical devices including superconducting magnets and spaced based instruments. To date, most work on He II focussed on studies of heat and mass transport in the single phase fluid with emphasis on steady state and transient heat transfer in static and forced flow. In the proposed work, this will be expanded to include coexisting He II/saturated vapor while in a horizontal flow. A horizontal experimental test facility will be developed to measure the effects of vapor quality, void fraction, mass flow, and heat transfer rates. Experimental results will be compared to models developed based on the fundamental properties of the He II and the vapor. The modeling effort will provide information on the limits to conventional two phase flow models and the basic understanding of the transport properties of He II.
