Vapor-Phase Thermal Conductivity Measurements of Refrigerants

The paper reports further developments of the transient hot-wire technique. The particular development of interest is the extension of the technique to study polar, or electrically-conducting gases with a relatively low thermal conductivity but a high thermal diffusivity, circumstances which occur at low density and therefore low pressure, for gases of high molecular weight. The theory of the transient hot-wire instrument is examined again in order to guide a revised design of the thermal conductivity cell with this particular application in mind. Test measurements have then been conducted on helium, argon, and propane at low and moderate pressures to confirm that the instrument operates in accordance with the theory of it. The satisfactory completion of these tests demonstrates that the new equipment overcomes many of the defects observed in earlier variants of the instrument for application to the study of refrigerant gases.