Characterizing He II flow through porous materials using counterflow data

Abstract

An empirical extension of the two-fluid model is used to characterize He II flow through porous materials. It is shown that four empirical parameters are necessary to describe the pressure and temperature differences induced by He II flow through a porous sample. The three parameters required to determine pressure differences are measured in counterflow and found to compare favorably with those for isothermal flow. The fourth parameter, the Gorter-Mellink constant, differs substantially from smooth tube values. It is concluded that parameter values determined from counterflow can be used to predict pressure and temperature differences in a variety of flows to an accuracy of about +/- 20 percent.