Near-Critical CO₂ Flow Measurement and Visualization

Near-critical CO₂ flow has been studied because of its potential application in carbon dioxide capture and sequestration, which is one of the proposed solutions for reducing greenhouse gas emission. Near the critical point the thermophysical properties of the fluid undergo abrupt changes that affect the flow structure and characteristics. Pressure drop across a stainless steel tube, 2 ft long with 0.084 in ID, at different inlet conditions and mass flow rates have been measured. The effects of variations of inlet conditions have been studied. The results show extreme sensitivity of pressure drop to inlet conditions especially inlet temperature in the vicinity of the critical point. Also, shadowgraphs have been acquired to study the flow structure qualitatively.