Chapter 10 - Methods for calculating the thermal conductivity of hydrocarbons

Abstract

This chapter discusses theoretical, semi-empirical, and empirical methods for calculating the thermal conductivity of a rarefied gas. Methods for determining the contributions to thermal conductivity from various degrees of freedom of polyatomic molecules are analyzed. Estimates of the accuracy of predictive calculations by various methods are given. The chapter also gives a brief review of theoretical, semi-empirical, and empirical methods for calculating thermal conductivity in a wide range of state parameters. In particular, the modified approach of Enskog, Assael, and Dymond, the Rainwater-Friend theory, and the similarity theory are discussed. Methods for describing thermal conductivity in the critical region based on the dynamic scaling theory and the crossover equation are considered—the Olchowy-Sengers, Kiselev-Kulikov, and Ferrell approximations. A separate section is devoted to the development of interpolation equations that have a theoretically substantiated structure with empirical coefficients obtained by processing the most reliable experimental data on thermal conductivity in a wide range of state parameters. This chapter presents equations published in the literature and developed by authors on the basis of their own and literature data. For the latter, the results of comparison with published data are given.