TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE FIELD VISUALIZATIONS IN A POROUS-MEDIUM DRIED IN SUPERHEATED STEAM

This work focuses on heat and mass transfers with phase change in poro us media. The experimental analysis was carried out in an aerodynamic return-flow wind tunnel, with very small cylinders of cellular concret e. For the local analysis, the samples were fitted with thermocouples and pressure sensors. A method of temperature and pressure held visual ization is developed to highlight the dynamics of transport phenomena. We show two specific phenomena: (1) liquid outflow generated by the o verpressure and (2) vaporization of the water inside a two-phase zone that progressively pervades the sample. (C) Elsevier Science Inc., 199 7.