Dynamic Responses of Supercritical Fluids

Dynamic Responses of Supercritical Fluids: Experimental Investigations on Non-Linear Effects Across the Widom Region and Near-Critical Phase Transitions provides comprehensive information on the experimental techniques that can be used to measure the dynamic responses of near-to supercritical fluids, along with an overview of the related physical phenomena involved. This book is ideal for applied physicists, engineers, and graduate and doctoral students in chemical engineering, process engineering, and aerospace engineering.


At the transition from liquid or gaseous fluid states into the supercritical regime, the macroscopic fluid response functions experience maxima, which results in a non-linear coupling between small perturbations in pressure and temperature and compressible flow dynamics. By applying laser-induced thermal acoustics, also known as laser-induced (transient) grating spectroscopy, the fluid response to an acoustic, pressure, and thermal perturbation can be investigated. Specifically, speed of sound, thermal diffusivities, and acoustic damping rates, are measured. And, by applying thermodynamic model, the latter are used to determine volume viscosities at near- to supercritical fluid states. Finally, by applying polarized Mie scattering, insights on the type of phase transitions can be inferred together with quantitative data on the average size, and droplet size distribution can be obtained.

• Includes clearly presented experimental and theoretical methods for understanding dynamic processes under supercritical conditions and the outcomes that result
• Gives the reader physical understanding of the supercritical fluid responses and the related anomalous fluid phenomena such as pseudo-boiling and thermo-convective instabilities
• Introduces measurement techniques, including laser-induced thermal acoustics (LITA), polarized Mie scattering, and applying structured laser illuminated planar imaging (SLIPI) at high pressure conditions
• Looks at the experimental values of acoustic attenuation, speed of sound and thermal conductivities at the transition from near- to supercritical fluid conditions
• Includes Macroscopic investigations in the Widom line region and the fluid transitions across the Widom line