Generating High Pressure with Heat

[axi0m]

I'm doing research for an upcoming project that involves accelerating a small polyproylene ball using electricity to heat and ablate a substance, creating pressure behind the projectile.

Currently, I'm planning to use a material such as tungsten or aluminum in a very thin film or wire to arc and consequently heat and vaporize the other substance.

My inquiry is what material with a given amount of energy in the form of heat, will create the highest pressure?

Obviously water has been used for a long time for these types of applications in, for example steam engines and nuclear power plants. It seems to me, though, that water has a high heat of vaporization when compared to other substances, in other words, it takes a larger amount of energy to vaporize a given amount of water.

Is this important in this application? Or, would it be more important to have a substance that has a higher vapor pressure at the temperatures that will be experiences inside the chamber, which will probably be in the tens of thousands of degrees F.

Any advice will be appreciated.

 

[Achy47]

Dear researcher,

Thank you for sharing your project and inquiry with us. It sounds like you are working on an interesting and challenging project. I am a scientist who specializes in materials science and thermodynamics, and I would be happy to offer some advice and suggestions for your research.

Firstly, let me address your question about the material that will create the highest pressure with a given amount of heat energy. In general, the pressure generated by a substance will depend on its density, temperature, and the amount of energy supplied to it. Therefore, it is not possible to determine the exact material that will create the highest pressure without knowing the specifics of your experimental setup and the properties of the materials you are considering.

However, I can offer some general insights and considerations that may help guide your decision. As you mentioned, water has a high heat of vaporization, which means it requires a significant amount of energy to change from a liquid to a gas. This can be advantageous in some applications, such as steam engines, where the goal is to generate a large amount of pressure. However, in your case, where you are trying to accelerate a small projectile, it may be more beneficial to use a substance with a lower heat of vaporization.

One important property to consider is the vapor pressure of the substance at the temperatures you will be working with. As you noted, the temperatures inside your chamber will be in the tens of thousands of degrees Fahrenheit, which is extremely high. At these temperatures, many substances will have a high vapor pressure, meaning they will readily change from a liquid to a gas. This can create a significant amount of pressure behind your projectile, which could be beneficial for its acceleration.

In addition to the vapor pressure, you may also want to consider the thermal conductivity and specific heat of the materials you are considering. These properties can impact the transfer of heat energy and the overall efficiency of your system.

Overall, the best material for your project will depend on a variety of factors, including the specific properties of the materials, the design of your experimental setup, and your desired outcome. I would recommend conducting some preliminary experiments and simulations to compare the performance of different materials and determine the best option for your project.

I hope this information is helpful to you and wish you all the best with your research.