Development of Superfluid Shock Tube Facility

Abstract

The superfluid shock tube facility has been developed as a versatile tool for general researches in low-temperature thermo-fluid dynamic phenomena. The shock tube was designed to be operated with the He II-filled test section immersed in superfluid helium. A special feature of the facility is that the gas dynamic shock tube is driven and controlled with a quick-opening valve (MO-valve). It enables a synchronized discharge of a shock wave with other target transient phenomena. Some wave phenomena such as a thermal shock and a compression shock waves in superfluid helium, and phase transition phenomena across the λ-line (He I-He II) and across the He II-solid helium phase boundary can be investigated by impinging a gas dynamic shock wave onto a vapor-He II free surface in the test section. The target physical phenomena in He II are measured by pressure transducers and superconductive temperature sensors, by applying laser beam refraction method, and with the aid of some optical visualization methods. In the present study, the general thermo-fluid dynamic performance are investigated to verify the validity in wide range of experimental researches.