Measurements of the thermal conductivity of aqueous LiBr solutions at pressures up to 40 MPa

Abstract

This paper describes absolute measurements of the thermal conductivity of aqueous LiBr solutions in the concentration range 5 to 15m (molality), the temperature range 30 to 100°C, and the pressure range 0.1 to 40 MPa. The measurements have been performed with the aid of a transient hot-wire apparatus employing a thin tantalum wire coated with an anodic tantalum pentoxide insulation layer. In using the tantalum wire, a modification of the bridge circuit has been made to keep the electric potential of the wire always higher than the ground level in order to protect the insulation layer from breakdown. The experimental data, which have an estimated accuracy of ±0.5%, have been correlated in terms of the polynomials of concentration, temperature, and pressure for practical use. Also, it has been found that the pressure coefficient of the thermal conductivity decreases with increasing concentrations.