Performance of a Hot-Wire Thermal Diffusion Column

Abstract

The performance of a carefully constructed, metal, hot-wire, thermal diffusion column is examined in the regions of laminar and turbulent gas flow in the column for several hot-wire temperatures using the normal argon isotopic mixture as a column gas. A new experimental method is employed which simplifies and increases the accuracy of the experiment. At the lowest temperature examined, quantitative agreement with theory is observed without the use of a parasitic remixing factor. The effect of spacers on the center wire on column performance was also examined. No significant effect was observed, this being attributed to the careful construction of the column.