The Streaming Potential Generated by Flow of Wet Steam in Capillary Tubes

Abstract

For a constant pressure differential, the flow of wet steam generated electric potentials which increased with time and did not reach equilibrium values. These pobcntials were found to increase to values greater than 100 volts. The reason for this kind of potential build-up behavior was the presence of tiny flowing water slugs which were interspersed with electrically nonconductive steam vapor slugs. The measured electric potential for wet steam increased with pressure differential, but the relationship was not linear. The increase in potential with pressure drop was attributed both to an increase in fluid flow rate and changes in the wet steam quality.