Helium I heat transfer in a small natural circulation loop with self-sustaining recondensation

Heat transfer of helium I in a natural circulation loop is experimentally studied around atmospheric pressure. The test section of the loop has an inner diameter of 4 mm and a height of 23 cm and can be uniformly heated by wire heater. On top of the loop, a condenser is mounted and thermally connected to the second-stage of a 1.5 W at 4.2 K GM cryocooler. Helium can be recondensed in the condenser, where the pressure is regulated around the atmospheric pressure. While the dissipated heat flux is increased from 0 to 1 W, one encounters the different heat transfer regimes as single phase liquid convection, two phase nucleate boiling and single phase vapor convection. The wall superheat varies up to 11 K in the single phase vapor convection regime. The wall temperature measurement allows obtaining the boiling curve and determining the heat transfer coefficient.