New International Formulation for the Thermal Conductivity of Heavy Water

Abstract

The International Association for the Properties of Water and Steam has adopted new formulations for the thermodynamic and transport properties of heavy water. This manuscript describes the development of a formulation for the thermal conductivity of heavy water that was adopted as an international standard in 2021. It is consistent with the equation of state adopted in 2017, revised slightly in 2018, and is valid for fluid states up to 825 K and 250 MPa with uncertainties ranging from 1.5% to 6% depending on the state point. Comparisons with experimental data and with an earlier thermal-conductivity formulation are presented. The 2021 formulation accounts for the critical enhancement of the thermal conductivity, which was not incorporated in the previous formulation. Furthermore, in the zero-density limit, the 2021 formulation is based on thermal conductivity values at temperatures from 250 to 2500 K obtained from the kinetic theory of polyatomic gases. In addition, the 2021 formulation is applicable in a larger range of pressures than the previous formulation.