Two dimensional transient heat transfer in He II

A comparison is presented of transient heat flow in He II as measured experimentally and as predicted by analysis based on the Gorter-Mellink equation. The geometry is that envisioned for the He II cooling of a SMES (superconducting magnetic energy storage) system, namely, an annular layer of He II in direct contact with one layer of a solenoid and extending the full height of the coil. A normal zone over a fraction of a turn provides for two-dimensional heat flow in the annular layer of the He II. The comparison is given for both adiabatic and isothermal boundary conditions at the end of the channel. Good agreement between the analysis and the experimental data is found, verifying the usefulness of the analysis for large-scale systems. In addition, discrepancies between the analysis and data provide insight into the stability process of the He II cooled superconductor