Whole Range Of Experimental Conditions Research Articles

Pressure-volume-temperature properties for binary oligomeric solutions of anisole with polyethylene glycol mono-laurate or polyethylene glycol mono-4-nonylphenyl ether at pressures up to 50MPa

Experimental of P-V-T properties are measured for two binary systems containing anisole and one of oligomeric materials (polyethylene glycol mono-laurate, PEGML, and polyethylene glycol mono-4-nonylphenyl ether, PEGNPE) at temperatures ranging from 298.15K to 348.15K and pressures up to 50 MPa. Over the whole range of experimental conditions, the excess volumes of anisole + PEGML are negative (chemical-interaction dominant) and those of anisole + PEGNPE are positive (physical-interaction dominant). The Tait equation and the Redlich-Kister type model quantitatively represents the pressure-effect on the densities and the composition-effect on the excess volumes of the investigated systems, respectively. The Flory-Orwoll-Vrij (FOV) and the Schotte equations of state with or without using one binary interaction parameter calculate the specific volumes to RMSDs no greater than 0.04% and 0.11%, respectively.

Characterization of non-thermal dielectric barrier discharges at atmospheric pressure in presence of microfibrillated cellulosic foams

Plasma processing of sustainable polymers from renewable resources has recently gained significant interest. This work reports the ignition of plane-to-plane dielectric barrier discharges at atmospheric pressure operated in nominally high-purity helium with microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) foams derived from woody biomass taking up the entirety of the gas gap. Over the whole range of experimental conditions examined, discharge ignition and propagation mostly occurs through the foam from one electrode to the other (volume discharge). For outgassed foams, current–voltage characteristics suggest a glow-like discharge regime at 60 kHz and a filamentary behaviour at 10 kHz. However, optical imaging reveals localized emission patterns in both cases. Significantly less plasma-induced damage is observed through the MFC foams at 10 kHz than at 60 kHz. From these findings, the apparent homogeneous regime at 60 kHz seems to result from multiple discharges sustained in localized damaged zones. For non-outgassed samples exposed to the helium gas flow, gaseous species trapped in the MFC foams yielded to a significant increase of the discharge power and thus caused more significant damage to the cellulosic material.

Characterisation of Ni-cermet degradation phenomena II. Relationship between connectivity and resistivity

The present work is related to numerical modelling and electrical conductivity monitoring of Ni-cermet supports with YSZ ceramic components in wide range of temperatures (700, 750, and 800 °C) and water content (3, 45, and 80 vol%) in hydrogen atmospheres. The experimentally evaluated resistivity of the Ni-YSZ supports has exponential type dependence on time. The microstructure can be characterized by the special parameters, which were determined using SEM image analyses of supports made of Ni-YSZ. Three-dimensional modelling of the sample microstructure was done by means of the original algorithm. Estimation of the volume contribution of interlinked clusters of nickel phase was carried out. The electrical resistivity of the Ni-YSZ cermet microstructure model was simulated before and after exposure by means of the finite element method. It was revealed that the relative effective resistivity of the Ni-YSZ supports is directly proportional to the connectivity of Ni phase. This relationship between connectivity and resistivity is fulfilled in a whole range of experimental conditions. The effective resistivity as a function of exposure time obtained experimentally was consistent with the simulation results.

Fluid Drag Reduction by Magnetic Confinement

A solid interface with a viscous liquid flow results in large drag, related to frictional forces. Reducing the drag by more than a few tens of percent remains elusive. Here, we use magnetic forces to stabilize a ferrofluid encapsulating a transported immiscible viscous liquid. This liquid-in-liquid flow exhibits drag reduction from 80% to more than 99%, tuneable by the viscosity ratio between the two liquids, over a range where the transported liquid has a viscosity larger or smaller than that of the encapsulating liquid. Our findings are explained by a laminar flow model that matches data for our whole range of experimental conditions.

Experimental investigation on laminar burning velocities of ammonia/hydrogen/air mixtures at elevated temperatures

The present study introduces new laminar burning velocity data for ammonia/hydrogen/air mixtures measured by means of the outwardly propagating spherical flame method at atmospheric pressure, for previously unseen unburned gas temperatures ranging from 298 to 473 K, hydrogen fractions ranging from 0 vol% to 60 vol% in the fuel and equivalence ratios in the range [0.8–1.4]. Results show increasing velocities with increasing hydrogen fraction and temperature, with maximum values obtained for rich mixtures near stoichiometry. The new experimental dataset is compared to dedicated laminar burning velocity correlations from the literature and to simulations using detailed kinetic mechanisms. The ammonia/air correlation presents a good agreement with measurements over the whole range of experimental conditions. The ammonia/hydrogen/air correlation captures the effect of the initial temperature satisfactorily for equivalence ratios below 1.3 and hydrogen fractions below 50 vol% in the fuel, but discrepancies are observed in other conditions. The effect of hydrogen addition is reproduced satisfactorily for hydrogen fractions between 20 and 40 vol% in the fuel, but discrepancies are observed for rich mixtures below 20 vol% hydrogen and for all mixtures containing 50 vol% hydrogen and more. An optimization of both correlations is proposed thanks to the experimental data obtained, but only with partial improvement of the ammonia/hydrogen/air correlation. State-of-the-art detailed kinetic reaction mechanisms yield values in close agreement with the present experiments. They could thus be used along with additional experimental data from different techniques to develop more accurate correlations for time-effective laminar burning velocity estimates of NH3/H2/air mixtures.

The complexation of Eu(III) and Cm(III) with polyacrylate as a model compound for complex polycarboxylates studied by laser fluorescence spectroscopy

The complexation of the trivalent heavy metals Eu(III) and Cm(III) with polyacrylate as a model ligand is investigated by time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS) and subsequent thermodynamic modelling (charge neutralization model). The aqueous speciation of both metals is investigated as a function of temperature (20–60 °C) and ligand concentration (0–0.4 g/kg) in 0.1 mol/kg NaCl solution ([H+]total ≈ 10−4 mol/kg). Only one complex species is observed at all experimental conditions. With increasing temperature the aqueous Eu(III) and Cm(III) speciation is slightly shifted towards the complexes species. This effect is attributed to the stronger deprotonation of the polymer, which is also reflected by an increase of its loading capacity. The complex stability constants, however, show no visible temperature dependency. Log β’(T) ranges between 5.8 and 5.9 for both Eu(III) and Cm(III) over the whole range of experimental conditions.

Structural and cooperative length scales in polymer gels.

Understanding the relationship between the material structural details, the geometrical confining constraints, the local dynamical events and the global rheological response is at the core of present investigations on complex fluid properties. In the present article, this problem is addressed on a model yield stress fluid made of highly entangled polymer gels of Carbopol which follows at the macroscopic scale the well-known Herschel-Bulkley rheological law. First, performing local rheology measurements up to high shear rates ([Formula: see text] s-1)and under confinement, we evidence unambiguously the breakdown of bulk rheology associated with cooperative processes under flow. Moreover, we show that these behaviors are fully captured with a unique cooperativity length [Formula: see text] over the whole range of experimental conditions. Second, we introduce an original optical microscopy method to access structural properties of the entangled polymer gel in the direct space. Performing image correlation spectroscopy of fluorophore-loaded gels, the characteristic size D of carbopol gels microstructure is determined as a function of preparation protocol. Combining both dynamical and structural information shows that the measured cooperative length [Formula: see text] corresponds to 2-5 times the underlying structural size D, thus providing a strong grounding to the "Shear Transformation Zones" modeling approach.

Liquid Level Measurement by the Detection of Abrupt Pressure Changes in a Tube in Contact with a Liquid Surface

A dynamic tube pressure method was proposed for a liquid level measurement. The reliability of our in-house manufactured prototype level measurement system was investigated for water samples in a vial as a preliminary study. The prototype instrument, equipped with a stepper motor and a differential pressure sensor, was used to measure the travel distance of the tube from an initial zero position to the liquid surface. Unlike a conventional bubbler method, our dynamic tube pressure method is based on the abrupt changes in the tube pressure to directly detect the liquid surface. Optimum conditions were determined from the measurements of the travel distance with different-sized tubes at various ambient base pressures and various descending tube speeds. In addition, we proposed a gravimetric calibration method. In the gravimetric calibration method, the travel distances are used instead of the liquid level, which can be obtained from the measurement data of the travel distance. The travel distance versus the weight calibration curve showed a good linear relationship (R2 = 0.9999), and standard deviations of the travel distance over the whole range of experimental conditions were less than 0.1 mm. In a further study, our present system will also be used in the measurement of density and surface tension by minimizing the contact time with high-temperature and highly-corrosive molten salts.

Determination of the number density of excited and ground Zn atoms during rf magnetron sputtering of ZnO target

A combination of optical absorption spectroscopy (OAS) and optical emission spectroscopy measurements was used to monitor the number density of Zn atoms in excited 4s4p (3P2 and 3P0) metastable states as well as in ground 4s2 (1S0) state in a 5 mTorr Ar radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering plasma used for the deposition of ZnO-based thin films. OAS measurements revealed an increase by about one order of magnitude of Zn 3P2 and 3P0 metastable atoms by varying the self-bias voltage on the ZnO target from −115 to −300 V. Over the whole range of experimental conditions investigated, the triplet-to-singlet metastable density ratio was 5 ± 1, which matches the statistical weight ratio of these states in Boltzmann equilibrium. Construction of a Boltzmann plot using all Zn I emission lines in the 200–500 nm revealed a constant excitation temperature of 0.33 ± 0.04 eV. In combination with measured populations of Zn 3P2 and 3P0 metastable atoms, this temperature was used to extrapolate the absolute number density of ground state Zn atoms. The results were found to be in excellent agreement with those obtained previously by actinometry on Zn atoms using Ar as the actinometer gas [L. Maaloul and L. Stafford, J. Vac. Sci. Technol., A 31, 061306 (2013)]. This set of data was then correlated to spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements of the deposition rate of Zn atoms on a Si substrate positioned at 12 cm away from the ZnO target. The deposition rate scaled linearly with the number density of Zn atoms. In sharp contrast with previous studies on RF magnetron sputtering of Cu targets, these findings indicate that metastable atoms play a negligible role on the plasma deposition dynamics of Zn-based coatings.

Modeling of glycolysis of flexible polyurethane foam wastes by artificial neural network methodology

The glycolysis process as a useful approach to recycling flexible polyurethane foam wastes is modeled in this work. To obtain high quality recycled polyol, the effects of influential processing and material parameters, i.e. process time, process temperature, catalyst-to-solvent (Cat/Sol) and solvent-to-foam (Sol/Foam) ratios, on the efficiency of the glycolysis reaction were investigated individually and simultaneously. For the continuous prediction of process behavior and interactive effects of parameters, an artificial neural network (ANN) model as an efficient statistical-mathematical method has been developed. The results of modeling for the criteria that determine the glycolysis process efficiency including the hydroxyl value of the recycled polyol and isocyanate functional group conversion prove that the adopted ANN model successfully anticipates the recycling process responses over the whole range of experimental conditions. The Cat/Sol ratio showed the strongest influence on the quality of the recycled polyol among the studied parameters, where the minimum hydroxyl value was obtained at a medium amount of the assigned ratio. For the consumed polyurethane foam, a higher value of this ratio led to an increase in the hydroxyl value and isocyanate conversion. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry

Non-spectral interferences due to the presence of sulfuric acid in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Results of a systematic study concerning non-spectral interferences from sulfuric acid containing matrices on a large number of elements in inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) are presented in this work. The signals obtained with sulfuric acid solutions of different concentrations (up to 5% w w−1) have been compared with the corresponding signals for a 1% w w−1− nitric acid solution at different experimental conditions (i.e., sample uptake rates, nebulizer gas flows and r.f. powers). The signals observed for 128Te+, 78Se+ and 75As+ were significantly higher when using sulfuric acid matrices (up to 2.2-fold for 128Te+ and 78Se+ and 1.8-fold for 75As+ in the presence of 5 w w-1 sulfuric acid) for the whole range of experimental conditions tested. This is in agreement with previously reported observations. The signal for 31P+ is also higher (1.1-fold) in the presence of sulfuric acid. The signal enhancements for 128Te+, 78Se+, 75As+ and 31P+ are explained in relation to an increase in the analyte ion population as a result of charge transfer reactions involving S+ species in the plasma. Theoretical data suggest that Os, Sb, Pt, Ir, Zn and Hg could also be involved in sulfur-based charge transfer reactions, but no experimental evidence has been found. The presence of sulfuric acid gives rise to lower ion signals (about 10–20% lower) for the other nuclides tested, thus indicating the negative matrix effect caused by changes in the amount of analyte loading of the plasma.The elemental composition of a certified low-density polyethylene sample (ERM-EC681K) was determined by ICP-MS after two different sample digestion procedures, one of them including sulfuric acid. Element concentrations were in agreement with the certified values, irrespective of the acids used for the digestion. These results demonstrate that the use of matrix-matched standards allows the accurate determination of the tested elements in a sulfuric acid matrix.

Reference genes for expression studies in hypoxia and hyperglycemia models in human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

Human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC)-based gene expression studies performed under hypoxia and/or hyperglycemia show huge potential for modeling endothelial cell response in cardiovascular disease and diabetes. However, such studies require reference genes that are stable across the whole range of experimental conditions. These reference genes have not been comprehensively defined to date. We applied human genome-wide microarrays and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) on RNA obtained from primary HUVEC cultures that were incubated for 24 hr either in euglycemic or in hyperglycemic conditions and then subjected to short-term CoCl2-induced hypoxia for 1, 3, or 12 hr. Using whole-transcript arrays, we selected 10 commonly used reference genes with no significant expression variation across eight different conditions. These genes were ranked using NormFinder software according to their stability values. Consequently, five genes were selected for validation by qRT-PCR. These were ribosomal protein large P0 (RPLP0), transferrin receptor (TFRC), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), β-glucuronidase (GUSB), and β-actin (ACTB). All five genes displayed stable expression under hyperglycemia. However, only RPLP0 and TFRC genes were stable under hypoxia up to 12 hr. Under hyperglycemia combined with hypoxia up to 12 hr, the expression of RPLP0, TFRC, GUSB, and ACTB genes remained unchanged. Our findings strongly confirm that RPLP0 and TFRC are the most suitable reference genes for HUVEC gene expression experiments subjected to hypoxia and/or hyperglycemia for the given experimental conditions. We provide further evidence that even commonly known references genes require experimental validation for all conditions involved.

Numerical and physical requirements to simulation of gas release and dispersion in an enclosure with one vent

Numerical and physical requirements to simulations of sub-sonic release and dispersion of light gas in an enclosure with one vent are described and discussed. Six validation experiments performed at CEA in a fuel cell-like enclosure of sizes H × W × L = 126 × 93 × 93 cm with one vent, either W × H = 90 × 18 cm (vent A) or 18 × 18 cm (B) or 1 cm in diameter (C), with a vertical upward helium release from a pipe of internal diameter either 5 mm or 20 mm located 21 cm above the floor centre, were used in a parametric study comprising 17 numerical simulations. Three CFD models were applied, i.e. laminar, standard k-ɛ, and dynamic LES Smagorinsky–Lilly, to clarify a range of their applicability and performance. The LES model consistently demonstrated the best performance in reproduction of measured concentrations throughout the whole range of experimental conditions, including laminar, transitional and turbulent releases even with large CFL numbers. The laminar and the standard k-ɛ models were under performing in the reproduction of turbulent and laminar releases respectively, as expected, as well as in simulation of transitional flows. The laminar model demonstrated high sensitivity to the CFL (Courant–Friedrichs–Lewy) number even below the best practices limit of 40. Three different computational domains and grids were used in order to clarify the influence of mesh quality on the capability of simulations to reproduce the experimental data. It is concluded that physically substantiated choice of CFD model, the control of the CFL number (and released gas mass balance where appropriate), and the mesh quality can have a strong effect on the capability of simulations to reproduce experiments and, in general, on the reliability of CFD tools for application in hydrogen safety engineering.

Optimization of Combined Pulsed Electric Fields and Mild Temperature Processing Conditions for Red Apple Juice Polyphenol Oxidase and Peroxidase Inactivation

The effect on Polyphenol Oxidase (PPO) and Peroxidase (POD) enzyme activity in red apple juice was evaluated after combined Pulsed Electric Fields (PEF) and mild temperature processing using a response surface methodology. Changes in color were also analyzed and compared with thermally treated and unpasteurized juices. The studied factors were electric field strength (10-30 kV/cm), treatment time (200-1000 μs) and temperature (20- 60°C). A significant second-order response function covering the whole range of experimental conditions was obtained for each enzyme. Treatments conducted at 30 kV/cm, 1000 μs and 60°C led to red apple juice with the lowest residual enzyme activity (0.04 and 0.16 for PPO and POD, respectively). Overall change in color was significantly lower (p<0.05), in comparison with severe thermal treatments. It was feasible to achieve comparable enzyme inactivation and better preserve natural juice color by this hurdle technique.

A unit stream power based sediment transport function for overland flow

Soil erosion is a serious global problem requiring effective modeling for accurate assessment of sensitive areas and related erosion rates. The outcome of soil erosion models depends strongly on the estimation of sediment transport capacity. In most of the existing spatially distributed soil erosion models sediment transport capacity of overland flow is often estimated using stream flow transport capacity functions. The applicability of stream flow functions to overland flow conditions is questionable because hydraulic conditions like flow depth, slope steepness and surface roughness under overland flow are substantially different from stream flow conditions. Hence, the main objectives of this study were i) to check the suitability of five existing well known and widely used transport capacity functions (Yalin 1963; Low, 1989; Govers, 1990; modified Engelund and Hansen (Smith et al., 1995); and Abrahams et al., 2001) for use under overland flow conditions, and ii) to derive a new function based on unit stream power by dimensional analysis to quantify transport capacity for overland flow. To accomplish the objectives, experiments in a 3.0 m long and 0.5 m wide flume were carried out using four different sands (0.230, 0.536, 0.719, and 1.022 mm). The unit discharges used for experimentation ranged from 0.07 to 2.07 x 10(-3) m(2) s(-1) and slopes ranged from 5.2 to 17.6%. In this study, none of the predictions with the existing functions was in good agreement with measured results over the whole range of experimental conditions, especially at low flow intensities. The percentages of observations in which the discrepancy ratio ranged between 0.5 and 2.0 were: 65% (Yalin 1963), 74% (Low, 1989), 57% (Govers, 1990), 54% (modified Engelund and Hansen (Smith et al., 1995)), and 25% (Abrahams et al., 2001). The results showed that the selected functions reasonably estimate transport capacities only under those ranges of conditions for which they were formulated. Although the excess.shear stress concept based function (i.e. Low's function) produced excellent results, the degree of accuracy of the results varied substantially with grain size (P.O.(0.5-2.0): 53-100%). In contrast, the performance of the Govers' function, which is based on the unit stream power concept, was quite similar for all the selected sands (P.O.(0.5-2.0): 50-63%). Based on the unit stream power concept, a new function for low flow intensities was derived by dimensional analysis using the data gained from the flume experiments. (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impedance Characteristics of Pulsed Atmospheric Electrical Discharge in Spherical Plasma Switch

A number of pulsed experiments have been carried out using a high-voltage circuit containing R,L, and C in certain arrangements. A spherical spark gap of steel electrodes was used as a high-current switch operated by a voltage of up to 8kV and triggered in both self-triggering and third-electrode triggering modes. Current measurements were carried out by using both current-viewing resistor and Rogowski coils designed for this purpose. Typical current waveforms have shown obvious dominating inductance effect of the circuit components in an underdamped oscillation. The behavior of the circuit impedance was studied by recording both pulsed current peaks and the charging voltages when currents of up to 2.5kA were recorded. The duration of these current pulses were found to extend between 0.1?s and 0.3?s depending on the values of the circuit components as well as the spacing of the spark gap electrodes along which the plasma propagates at atmospheric pressure. Over the whole range of experimental conditions, the average nominal impedance values were ranged between (2-10)? depending on the gap and circuit parameters. Typical damage patterns were observed with average diameters of up to 8.3 mm on the high voltage electrode and 10.5 mm on the grounded sphere resulting from accumulative discharges and power dissipation within the gap.

Impedance Characteristics of Pulsed Atmospheric Electrical Discharge in Spherical Plasma Switch

A number of pulsed experiments have been carried out using a high-voltage circuit containing R,L, and C in certain arrangements. A spherical spark gap of steel electrodes was used as a high-current switch operated by a voltage of up to 8kV and triggered in both self-triggering and third-electrode triggering modes. Current measurements were carried out by using both current-viewing resistor and Rogowski coils designed for this purpose. Typical current waveforms have shown obvious dominating inductance effect of the circuit components in an underdamped oscillation. The behavior of the circuit impedance was studied by recording both pulsed current peaks and the charging voltages when currents of up to 2.5kA were recorded. The duration of these current pulses were found to extend between 0.1?s and 0.3?s depending on the values of the circuit components as well as the spacing of the spark gap electrodes along which the plasma propagates at atmospheric pressure. Over the whole range of experimental conditions, the average nominal impedance values were ranged between (2-10)? depending on the gap and circuit parameters. Typical damage patterns were observed with average diameters of up to 8.3 mm on the high voltage electrode and 10.5 mm on the grounded sphere resulting from accumulative discharges and power dissipation within the gap.

Synthesis of Calcium Carbonate by Semicontinuous Carbonation Method in the Presence of Dextrans

Precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) was prepared by means of semicontinuous carbonation of Ca(OH)2 suspension, at 35 and 45 C and in the presence of non-ionic dextran and dextran sulfate. The carbonation process was regulated at different predetermined values of electrical conductivity, that corresponded to different concentrations of dissolved Ca(OH)2: 0.5 mS cm-1< 25 < 5.0 mS cm-1. The results of physical–chemical characterization of the product showed that calcite was the only polymorphic modification obtained in the whole range of experimental conditions investigated. In addition, it was found that morphology, crystal size distribution and specific surface area of PCC strongly depended on the electrical conductivity / concentration of dissolved Ca(OH)2, at which the process was performed: predominantly scalenohedral crystals of higher surface area (about 5 m2 g–1) were produced at higher electrical conductivity, while at lower electrical conductivity predominantly rhomohedral calcite crystals of relatively low specific surface area were obtained. In the system of the highest electrical conductivity, 25 = 5.0 mS cm-1, and at 35 C, the addition of non-ionic dextran significantly influenced the process by preventing the regulation. The crystals that appeared were in the form of irregular aggregates of high specific surface area, S ≈ 29 m2 g–1. FT-IR and TG analyses indicated that the non-ionic dextran was adsorbed onto the calcite surface, most probably by relatively strong and specific interactions between oxygen from the hydroxyl groups of dextran molecules and calcium ions from the crystal surface. On the contrary, the anionic dextran (dextran sulfate) exerted minor effects in the course of semicontinuous carbonation process and in the properties of the final product, PCC. However, the analysis of the precipitate indicated that dextran sulfate was adsorbed at the surfaces, most probably by the weak and non-specific electrostatic interactions.

Electrostatic model for protein adsorption in ion-exchange chromatography and application to monoclonal antibodies, lysozyme and chymotrypsinogen A

A model for the adsorption equilibrium of proteins in ion-exchange chromatography explicitly accounting for the effect of pH and salt concentration in the limit of highly diluted systems was developed. It is based on the use of DLVO theory to estimate the electrostatic interactions between the charged surface of the ion-exchanger and the proteins. The corresponding charge distributions were evaluated as a function of pH and salt concentration using a molecular approach. The model was verified for the adsorption equilibrium of lysozyme, chymotrypsinogen A and four industrial monoclonal antibodies on two strong cation-exchangers. The adsorption equilibrium constants of these proteins were determined experimentally at various pH values and salt concentrations and the model was fitted with a good agreement using three adjustable parameters for each protein in the whole range of experimental conditions. Despite the simplifications of the model regarding the geometry of the protein–ion-exchanger system, the physical meaning of the parameters was retained.

Experimental investigation on heat transfer from a heated rod with a helically wrapped wire inside a square vertical channel to water at supercritical pressures

A supercritical water heat transfer test section has been built at Xi’an Jiaotong University to study the heat transfer from a 10 mm rod inside a square vertical channel with a wire-wrapped helically around it as a spacer. The test section is 1.5 m long and the wire pitch 200 mm. Experimental conditions included pressures of 23–25 MPa, mass fluxes of 500–1200 kg/m 2 s, heat fluxes of 200–800 kW/m 2, and inlet temperatures of 300–400 °C. Wall temperatures were measured with thermocouples at various positions near the rod surface. The experimental Nusselt numbers were compared with those calculated by empirical correlations for smooth tubes. The Jackson correlation showed better agreement with the test data compared with the Dittus-Boelter correlation but overpredicted the Nusselt numbers almost within the whole range of experimental conditions. Both correlations cannot predict the heat transfer accurately when deterioration occurred at low mass flux and relatively high heat flux in the pseudocritical region. Comparison of experimental data at two different supercritical pressures showed that the heat transfer was more enhanced at the lower supercritical pressure but the deterioration was more likely to occur at the higher pressure, meaning increased safety. Based on a comparison with an identical channel without the helical wrapped wire, it was found that the wire spacer does not enhance the heat transfer significantly under normal heat transfer conditions, but it contributes to the improvement of the heat transfer in the pseudocritical region and to a downstream shift of the onset of the deterioration. The Jackson buoyancy criterion is found to be valid and works well in predicting the onset of heat transfer deterioration occurring in the experiments without wire.