CRYOGENIC

ENGINEERING 2

Properties of Cryogenic Fluids

Saturated
Liquid
Property

Unit

LHe3

LHe4

Liquid
Hydroge
n

Normal
Boiling point

3.19

4.214

20.27

27.09

77.36

Critical
temperature

3.32

5.2

33.2

44.4

126.1

MPa

0.117

0.229

1.315

2.65

3.39

13.9

24.53

63.2

Density

Kg/m
3

58.9

124.8

70.79

1206

807.3

Latent Heat

KJ/Kg

8.49

20.9

443

85.9

199.3

Critical
Pressure
Triple point

Liquid
Neon

LN2

Properties of Cryogenic Fluids

Saturated
Liquid Property

Unit

Liquid Air

Liquid
Argon

LOX

Liquid
methane

Normal Boiling
point

78.8

87.28

90.18

111.7

Critical
temperature

133

150.7

154.6

190.7

MPa

3.92

4.89

5.08

4.64

83.8

54.4

88.7

Density

Kg/m3

874

1394

1141

424.1

Latent Heat

KJ/Kg

205

161.9

213

511.5

Critical
Pressure
Triple point

Cryogenic Fluids-Liquid
Methane
It boils at 111.7 K.
It can be used as rocket fuel.

Cryogenic Fluids-Liquid Neon

It is a clear, colorless liquid with boiling point at 27.1 K.
Neon is commonly used in neon advertising.
Liquid neon is commercially used as cryogenic
refrigerant.
It is compact, inert and less expensive as compared to
liquid helium.

Cryogenic Fluids-Liquid
Nitrogen (LN2)

Boils at 77.36 K and freezes at 63.2 K.

Resembles water in appearance - 807 kg/m3.
Exists in 2 stable isotopes - N14 & N15.
Nitrogen is primarily used to provide an inert atmosphere in
chemical and metallurgical industries.
It is also used as a liquid to provide refrigeration.
Food preservation, blood, cells preservation.
High temperature superconductivity.
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Cryogenic Fluids-Liquid Oxygen

(LOX)

Blue in color due to long chains of O4.

Boils at 90.18 K and freezes at 54.4 K.
Has a density of 1141kg/m3.
O2 is slightly magnetic and exists in 3 stable isotopes O16, O17, O18

Cryogenic Fluids-Liquid Argon

It is a colorless, inert and non toxic gas.

It boils at 87.3 K and freezes at 83.8 K.
It has a density of 1394 kg/m3.
Exists in 3 stable isotopes Ar35, Ar38, Ar40.
The property of inertness of argon is used to purge moulds in casting
industry.
It is used in Argon-oxygen decarburization (AOD) process in stainless steel
industry.
It offers inert atmosphere for welding stainless steel, aluminum, titanium
etc.
8

Cryogenic Fluids-Liquid Air

It has a boiling point of 78.9 K and 874 kg/m3 as density.
Liquid air was earlier used as pre-coolant for low
temperature applications.
Liquid air is primarily used in production of pure nitrogen,
oxygen, and rare gases.

Hydrogen
Hydrogen exists in diatomic form as H2.
It boils at 20.27 K and freezes at 13.95 K.
It has a density of 70.79 kg/m3.
Critical temperature and pressures are 33.19
K and 1.315 Mpa
It has a latent heat of 443 kJ/kg
10

Hydrogen
Exists in 3 stable isotopes hydrogen,
deuterium and tritium.
Tritium is radioactive and is unstable
with a Thalf as 12.5 years.
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Hydrogen
Hydrogen exists in two molecular forms
Ortho and Para.
A H 2 molecule has 2 protons and 2 electrons.
The distinction between the two forms of
hydrogen is the direction of the spin of
protons.
12

Hydrogen
The two protons possess a spin which gives
the angular momentum.
If the nuclear spins are in same direction
for both the protons, it is Ortho Hydrogen.
If the nuclear spins are in opposite direction
for both the protons, it is Para Hydrogen.
13

Hydrogen

Ortho- Hydrogen

Para- Hydrogen
14

Hydrogen
With the decrease in the temperature, the Ortho
hydrogen is converted to the Para hydrogen.
At 300 K Ortho and Para hydrogen exists in the
ratio 3:1
At 20 K 99.821% of the Hydrogen will be in Para
form
15

Hydrogen
Para form is a low energy form and
therefore
heat
is
liberated
during
conversion.
Conversion of ortho to para form of
hydrogen is an exothermic reaction.
This conversion is a very slow process.
16

Hydrogen
During liquefaction, the heat of conversion
causes evaporation of 70% of hydrogen
originally liquefied.
In order to make this conversion faster,
catalysts are added.
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Deuterium
Deuterium atom has one proton and one neutron.
Two Deuterium atoms make up one D2 which is
called as Heavy Hydrogen.
Similar to hydrogen, it also exists in two
molecular forms Ortho and Para.
Normal deuterium exists in ratio of 2/3 Ortho and
1/3 Para.
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Deuterium
As temperature decreases, Para D2 gets
converted to Ortho D2.
At 20 K 98 % of D2 will be in Ortho form
Most of the physical properties of
Hydrogen and Deuterium mildly depend on
Ortho Para Compositon.
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Hydrogen-Uses
Cryogenic

engines
are
powered
by
propellants like liquid hydrogen.
It is being considered as fuel for
automobiles.
Cryocoolers working on a closed cycle use
hydrogen as working fluid.
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Helium
In the year 1908, K. Onnes at Leiden liquefied
Helium using Helium gas obtained by heating
Monazite sand procured from India.
Helium is an inert gas and exists in
monatomic state.
It boils at 4.2 K.
21

Helium
It has a density of 124.8 kg/m3.
Critical temperature and pressures are
5.25 K and 0.227 Mpa
It has a latent heat of 20.28 kJ/kg.
22

Helium
Helium exists in two isotopes- He4 and
He3.
The percentage of He3 is 1.3 x 10-4 %. So
mostly it is He4.

23

Helium Phase Diagram

It has no triple point.
Saturated
liquid
Helium

must
compressed to 25.3 bar to solidify.

be

24

Helium Phase Diagram

25

Helium Phase Diagram

As Liquid Helium is further cooled below
a particular temperature (2.17 K) a new
liquid phase, LHeII, emerges out.
The two different liquids are called as
LHe I and LHe II.
26

Helium Phase Diagram

These liquid phases are distinguished on
the basis of viscosity as follows.
LHeI : Normal fluid
LHeII : Super fluid

27

Helium Phase Diagram

This phase separation line is
called as Lambda Line.
The point of intersection of
phase separation line with
saturated liquid line is called
as Lambda Point.
28

Helium Phase Diagram

LHe II is called as super fluid because it
exhibits properties like zero viscosity and
large thermal conductivity.
This fluid expands on cooling.
The variation of specific heat in Liquid
Helium is abrupt and posses a discontinuity
at the lambda point.

29

Helium Phase Diagram-Variation of

specific heat

30

Helium Phase Diagram

The point is called as lambda point because
shape of the curve resembles the Greek
letter
There is no energy involved in lambda
transition.
31

Helium Phase Diagram

Also, heat transfer in super fluid helium (LHe II)
is very special. When the pressure above LHe - I is
reduced by pumping, the fluid boils vigorously.
During pumping, the temperature of liquid
decreases and a part of the liquid is boiled away.
When T < point temperature, the apparent
boiling of the fluid stops.
32

Helium Phase Diagram

Liquid becomes very clear and quiet, even
though it is vaporizing rapidly.
Thermal Conductivity of He II is so large
(86500 W/m-K), that the vapor bubbles do
not have time to form within the body of
the fluid before the heat is Super fluid
Helium quickly conducted to the surface.
Thermal Conductivity of He I is 0.024

33

Super Fluid
LHe II, called as super fluid, exhibits
properties like zero viscosity and large
thermal conductivity.
It flows through narrow slits and channels
very rapidly.
34

Super Fluid
The peculiar properties of Liquid Helium
II give rise to interesting thermal and
mechanical effects as listed below.
Thermomechanical Effect
Mechanocaloric Effect
Fountain Effect
Rollin Film Effect

35

Thermomechanical Effect
Consider a flask filled with super fluid
helium (LHe II) and a heating coil
placed inside a differential container
as shown in the figure.
When the heat is applied to the fluid in
the inner container, the concentration
of normal fluid increases.
36

Thermomechanical Effect
The Super fluid component tends to move
towards this region to equalize the
concentration.
Super fluid being less viscous, can flow
rapidly through the narrow channel.
Normal fluid being more viscous, its flow is
impeded by the channel resistance

37

Mechanocaloric Effect
As a result, due to the induced pressure
difference, a pressure head called as
Thermo Mechanical Pressure Head is
developed.
This head is proportionate to the
temperature rise of >T in the fluid.
38

Mechanocaloric Effect
The apparatus consists of a round
flask filled with a fine powder and
Super fluid Helium (LHe II).
The flask has an opening at the
bottom.
The Super fluid Helium (LHe - II)
being less viscous flows through
the fine powder easily.

39

Mechanocaloric Effect
As a result, the concentration of
normal fluid increases above the
powder.
Hence, the temperature increases
inside the flask, which is sensed by
resistance thermometer.
40

Fountain Effect
The U-tube is filled with a
fine powder and is immersed
in Super fluid Helium (LHe
II) bath.
When heat is added to the
powder, the concentration of
normal fluid increases due
to rise in the temperature

41

Fountain Effect
As a result, the Super fluid
rushes in, to equalize the
concentration.
Normal fluid, being more
viscous cannot flow through
the fine powder.
The inflow of super fluid builds
up with time and finally squirts

42

Rollin Effect

43

Rollin Effect
The Liquid Helium II exhibits a
property of clinging to the walls of the
container called as Creeping effect.
The thickness of the film is in the
order of 30 nm.
Consider a test tube filled with Liquid
Helium II as shown in the figure.

44

Rollin Effect
When the test tube is lowered into the Liquid
Helium - II bath, the Rollin film clings to the tube
and gradually fills the tube.
On the other hand, if the tube is raised above the
bath level, it empties out slowly.
In these films, the capillary forces dominate the
gravity and viscous forces.
45

Rollin Effect
The rate of flow is independent of height of
flow or barrier and difference in level.
It increases with drop in temperature.
It is zero at lambda point and becomes
constant below 1.5 K.
46

Rollin Effect
The enclosure or the container has to
be
designed
properly
otherwise
Helium II creeps to the warmer side
through valves and openings and will
evaporate.
47

Sound Propagation
Due to difference in concentrations of normal
helium and super fluid in LHe 4, there exists a
temperature gradient. This gradient causes
oscillations of Normal fluid and Super fluid
which are called as Second sound.
The velocity of Second sound varies from zero at
lambda point to 239 m/s at near 0 K.
48

Sound Propagation
In thin films, the LHe I component clings
to the walls due to the viscous effects.
If only the super fluid component in Second
sound oscillates, then it is called as Third
sound.
This wave motion appears as an oscillation
in the thickness of the film. The velocity of
propagation of Third sound is around 0.5

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