Experimental Verification, with Krypton, of the Theory of the Thermal-Diffusion Column for Multicomponent Systems

Abstract

Thermal‐diffusion column transport equation coefficients were measured for the multi‐isotope gas krypton. Measurements were made in a column of the hot‐wire type for both static and flow conditions, at hot‐wire temperatures of 623°, 773°, and 1073°K. The agreement between the theoretical and experimental values of the coefficients was reasonably good in all cases. The average ratio of the experimentally determined values of the reduced initial transport coefficient to the theoretically calculated value was 1.09 ± 0.11; the similar average ratio for the convective remixing coefficient was 1.11 ± 0.12; the average ratio for the diffusive remixing coefficient was 1.04 ± 0.06. The theoretical prediction that the reduced initial transport coefficient should be independent of the choice of isotope pair was also verified.