Maximum two-phase flow rates of subcooled nitrogen through a sharp-edged orifice

Abstract

An experiment was conducted and data are presented in which subcooled liquid nitrogen was discharged through a sharp-edged orifice at flow rates near the maximum. The data covered a range of inlet stagnation pressure from slightly above saturation to twice the thermodynamic critical pressure. The data were taken along five separate inlet stagnation isotherms ranging from 0.75 to 1.035 times the thermodynamic critical temperature. The results indicate that: (1) subcooled liquids do not choke or approach maximum flow in an asymptotic manner even though the back pressure is well below saturation; (2) orifice flow coefficients are not constant as is frequently assumed. A metastable jet appears to exist which breaks down if the difference between back pressure and saturation pressure is large enough.