Friction Theory Model for Thermal Conductivity

Thermal conductivity is an important transport property in nonequilibrium processes, for example, heat transfer between bodies. Compared to viscosity, there are relatively few experimental studies, and a model of engineering accuracy is needed to calculate the thermal conductivity in the absence of these experiments. This model also needs to apply to mixtures at conditions relevant to industrial processes. Numerous thermal conductivity correlations are available in the literature. However, most of them are for specific single fluids and cannot be extended to the prediction of mixture thermal conductivity. A new approach of a general nature, based on nonequilibrium properties and a common cubic equation of state, is presented in this investigation. This new approach delivers accurate and straightforward wide-range correlations for pure compounds and good predictions of mixture thermal conductivity (based on the studied test cases).