Direct numerical modelling of heat and mass transport in a near supercritical fluid

Abstract The analytical solution of the low Mach number hyper compressible flow equations describing the propagation of a heat pulse in a near supercritical Van der Waals gas is obtained. The numerical solution by the means of the PISO algorithm is performed and discussed. The evolution of the thermodynamic parameters in space and time is given as a function of the distance of the initial conditions to the critical point. The results concerning the time of equilibration of the temperature pulse at the wall fits the recent experimental findings.