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Viscosity models for helium-4 over wide temperature and pressure ranges: a review and comparative study.

Author(s) : YANG Y., SUN J., HUANG Y., YANG X.

Type of article: IJR article

Summary

Accurate prediction of helium-4 viscosity over wide temperature and pressure ranges is essential for cryogenic engineering and scientific applications. This review comprehensively surveys existing viscosity models, classifies them into dilute-gas and dense-fluid categories, and systematically evaluates their performance against ab initio calculations and available experimental data for helium compiled to date. In the dilute gas regime, eight models are compared with state-of-the-art ab initio values. The correlation by Liu et al. demonstrates the highest accuracy across broad temperatures, while the equation of Arp-McCarty remains the only model applicable below 5 K. In the dense fluid regime, four models including Arp-McCarty, friction theory (FT-PR), and entropy scaling (sScale) approaches were assessed. The Arp-McCarty correlation achieves the lowest average absolute deviation (5.53 %) and is recommended, particularly for liquid-phase predictions. The sScale models generally outperform FT-PR, especially at pressures above 100 MPa. In the liquid region, the NIST REFPROP model exhibits optimal accuracy, achieving an average absolute deviation of approximately 13 %. The present study highlights persistent scarcity of experimental data below 77 K at elevated pressures, underscoring the need for further measurements. Recommendations for model selection in different thermodynamic regions are provided to guide practical applications.

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Pages: 15 p.

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Details

  • Original title: Viscosity models for helium-4 over wide temperature and pressure ranges: a review and comparative study.
  • Record ID : 30034850
  • Languages: English
  • Subject: Technology
  • Source: International Journal of Refrigeration - Revue Internationale du Froid - vol. 186
  • Publication date: 2026/06
  • DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2026.106905

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