An Experimental Verification, with Krypton, of the Theory of the Thermal Diffusion Column for Multicomponent Systems

The extended form of the Jones and Furry theory, which describes the behavior of a multicomponent heavy isotopic gas in a Clusius-Dickel thermal diffusion column, is tested. Experimental and theoretical values of the thermal diffusion column transport equation coefficients Hsub{ik},Ksub{c}, and Ksub{d}, are determined for krypton, a heavy isotopic gas with six isotopes. The experiments are carried out in a column of the hotwire type, at three wire temperatures: Tsub{H}=350 degrees C, 500 degrees C and 800 degrees C. Good agreement is found between the theoretical and experimental values of the coefficients. Seven of nine of the experimentally determined values of the coefficients agree within +- 10% with the corressponding theoretical values. The remaining two experimental values agree within +- 20% with the corresponding theoretical values.