A new experimental apparatus for investigation of nucleation of droplets in systems relevant for CCS (carbon capture and storage) is currently developed at the Laboratory of Phase Transition Kinetics. Main goal of this research is to obtain new experimental data for the nucleation of droplets in supersaturated vapor of mixtures important in the design of new CCS technologies, e.g., the CO₂ rich systems with nitrogen, water, methane, and argon. The nucleation of droplets, i.e. the inception of phase transition between the supersaturated vapor and the liquid, is studied with the help of an abrupt pressure drop inside a stainless steel expansion chamber with inner volume of around 200 cm³. The expansion chamber is equipped with a set of optical windows allowing detection of the nucleation conditions with the use of precise optics (interferometer). The experiment will allow detecting the nucleation of droplets at pressures from 2 to 140 bar and temperatures between – 20 °C and + 150 °C.
 
More information about this research is given on website of the international project CCSphase.
 

 
Fig. 3D design of the expansion chamber