MINI PROJECT – 1A

JOULE THOMSON EFFECT & ITS

APPLICATION

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the

requirements of the degree of

Bachelor of Chemical Engineering

By

Mhatre Vighnaraj – ROLL NO 10

Gupta Samarth - ROLL NO 5

Kurunkar Yash – ROLL NO 20

Guide
Dr. C. K. Mistry

Department of Chemical Engineering

2024 - 2025
 CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that this project titled ‘ JOULE
THOMSON EFFECT & ITS APPLICATION ’ is
the bonafide work of Mhatre vighnaraj (R. No.10) ,
Gupta Samarth (R. No. 05) and kurunkar yash (R.
No. 20) , submitted to the University of Mumbai , in
partial fulfillment of the requirement , for the award of
the degree of ‘ Undergraduate ’ in ‘ Chemical
Engineering ’

Dr. C. K. Mistry
( Guide )

Dr. C. K. Dr. Geeta Lathkar

Mistry ( Director )
( Head of
Department )
ii
 PROJECT REPORT APPROVAL
This is to certify that this project titled‘ JOULE
THOMSON EFFECT & ITS APPLICATION ’,
by the students Mhatre vighnaraj (R. No.10) ,
Gupta Samarth (R. No. 05) and kurunkar yash
(R. No. 20) , is approved as term work for ‘ Mini
Project 1A of Sem. III of Undergraduate in
Chemical Engineering ’

Examiners :

1.

2.

Date : 26th of Oct , 2024

Place : MGMET ,Kamothe , Navi Mumbai

iii
dederf

DECLARATION
We declare that this written submission , represents
our ideas in our own words and where others’ ideas
or words have been included , we have adequately
cited and referenced the original sources . We also
declare , that we have adhered to all principles of
academic honesty and integrity and have not
misrepresented , fabricated or falsified any idea /
data / fact / source in our submission . We
understand , that any violation of the above , shall
be cause for disciplinary action by the Institute and
can also evoke , penal action from the sources ,
which have thus not been properly cited or from
whom proper permission has not been taken , when
needed .

Mhatre vighnaraj
Roll No. 10
UID:123CH1306A

Gupta Samarth
Roll No. 05 ,
UID: 123CH3215A

kurunkar yash
Roll No. 20
UID: 122CH1161A
Date : 26th of Oct , 2024
Place : MGMCET , Kamothe , Navi Mumbai
iv
dederf

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CH. CHAPTER TITLE PAGE NO.

NO.

1 INTRODUCTION – JOULE THOMSON EFFECT 6

PROJECT RELEVENCE – DESCRIPTION

2 10

PROJECT RELEVENCE – PHYSICAL MECHANISM

3 14

4 PROJECT STUDY – JOULE THOMSON COFFICENT μJT 17

5 PROJECT STUDY- PROFF THAT THE SPECIFIC 21

ENTHAPLY REMAINS CONSTANT
PROJECT STUDY- FACTORS AFFECTING JOULE
6 26
THOMSON EFFECT
PROJECT STUDY- THE LINDE TECHNIQUE: A
7 REVOLUTIONARY APPROACH TO AIR SEPARATION 29
( HAMPSON LINDE CYCLE )

PROJECT STUDY- INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION AND

8 USES 33

35
CONCLUSION AND REFERENCES
9

v
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION
JOULE THOMSON EFFECT

6
In thermodynamics, the Joule-Thomson effect
(also known as the Joule-Kelvin effect or Kelvin-
Joule effect) describes the temperature change of
a real gas or liquid (as differentiated from an ideal
gas) when it is expanding; typically caused by the
pressure loss from flow through a valve or porous
plug while keeping it insulated so that no heat is
exchanged with the environment . This procedure
is called a throttling process or Joule-Thomson
process. The effect is purely an effect due to
deviation from ideality, as any ideal gas has no JT
effect. At room temperature, all gases except
hydrogen, helium, and neon cool upon expansion
by the Joule-Thomson process when being
throttled through an orifice; these three gases rise
in temperature when forced through a porous plug
at room temperature, but lowers in temperature
when already at lower temperatures .Most liquids
such as hydraulic oils will be warmed by the
Joule-Thomson throttling process. The
temperature at which the JT effect switches sign
is the inversion temperature. The gas-cooling
throttling process is commonly exploited in
refrigeration processes such as liquefiers in air
7
separation industrial process. In hydraulics, the
warming effect from Joule-Thomson throttling
can be used to find internally leaking valves as
these will produce heat which can be detected by
thermocouple or thermal-imaging camera.
Throttling is a fundamentally irreversible process.
The throttling due to the flow resistance in supply
lines, heat exchangers, regenerators, and other
components of (thermal) machines is a source of
losses that limits their performance

Applications
In practice, the Joule–Thomson effect is achieved
by allowing the gas to expand through a throttling
device (usually a valve) which must be very well
insulated to prevent any heat transfer to or from
the gas. No external work is extracted from the
gas during the expansion (the gas must not be
expanded through a turbine, for example).
The cooling produced in the Joule–Thomson
expansion makes it a valuable tool
in refrigeration. The effect is applied in the Linde
technique as a standard process in
the petrochemical industry, where the cooling
8
effect is used to liquefy gases, and in
many cryogenic applications (e.g. for the
production of liquid oxygen, nitrogen, and argon).
A gas must be below its inversion temperature to
be liquefied by the Linde cycle. For this reason,
simple Linde cycle liquefiers, starting from
ambient temperature, cannot be used to liquefy
helium, hydrogen, or neon. They must first be
cooled to their inversion temperatures, which are
-233 C (helium), -71 C (hydrogen), and -42 C
(neon).

9
CHAPTER 2 – Project relevance
Description

10
 The adiabatic (no heat exchanged) expansion of a
gas may be carried out in a number of ways. The
change in temperature experienced by the gas
during expansion depends not only on the initial
and final pressure, but also on the manner in
which the expansion is carried out.
 If the expansion process is reversible, meaning that
the gas is in thermodynamic equilibrium at all
times, it is called an isentropic expansion. In this
scenario, the gas does positive work during the
expansion, and its temperature decreases.
 In a free expansion, on the other hand, the gas does
no work and absorbs no heat, so the internal
energy is conserved. Expanded in this manner, the
temperature of an ideal gas would remain constant,
but the temperature of a real gas decreases, except
at very high temperature.
 The method of expansion discussed in this article,
in which a gas or liquid at pressure P1 flows into a
region of lower pressure P2 without significant
change in kinetic energy, is called the Joule–
Thomson expansion. The expansion is inherently
irreversible.During this
expansion, enthalpy remains unchanged
11
(see proof below). Unlike a free expansion, work is
done, causing a change in internal energy. Whether
the internal energy increases or decreases is
determined by whether work is done on or by the
fluid; that is determined by the initial and final
states of the expansion and the properties of the
fluid.

Sign of the Joule–Thomson coefficient, for N2.

Within the region bounded by the red line, a
Joule–Thomson expansion produces cooling ();
outside that region, the expansion produces
heating. The gas–liquid coexistence curve is
shown by the blue line, terminating at the critical
point (the solid blue circle). The dashed lines
demarcate the region where N2 is a supercritical
fluid (where properties smoothly transition
between liquid-like and gas-like).

12
The temperature change produced during a Joule–
Thomson expansion is quantified by the Joule–
Thomson coefficient, . This coefficient may be
either positive (corresponding to cooling) or
negative (heating); the regions where each occurs
for molecular nitrogen, N2, are shown in the
figure. Note that most conditions in the figure
correspond to N2 being a supercritical fluid,
where it has some properties of a gas and some of
a liquid, but can not be really described as being
either. The coefficient is negative at both very
high and very low temperatures; at very high
pressure it is negative at all temperatures. The
maximum inversion temperature (621 K for N2)
occurs as zero pressure is approached. For N 2 gas
at low pressures, is negative at high temperatures
and positive at low temperatures. At temperatures
below the gas-liquid coexistence curve,
N2 condenses to form a liquid and the coefficient
again becomes negative. Thus, for N2 gas below
621 K, a Joule–Thomson expansion can be used
to cool the gas until liquid N2 forms

13
CHAPTER 3 – Project Relevance

Physical Mechanism

14
There are two factors that can change the temperature of a
fluid during an adiabatic expansion: a change in internal
energy or the conversion between potential and kinetic
internal energy. Temperature is the measure of thermal kinetic
energy (energy associated with molecular motion); so a
change in temperature indicates a change in thermal kinetic
energy. The internal energy is the sum of thermal kinetic
energy and thermal potential energy. Thus, even if the internal
energy does not change, the temperature can change due to
conversion between kinetic and potential energy; this is what
happens in a free expansion and typically produces a decrease
in temperature as the fluid expands. If work is done on or by
the fluid as it expands, then the total internal energy changes.
This is what happens in a Joule–Thomson expansion and can
produce larger heating or cooling than observed in a free
expansion.
In a Joule–Thomson expansion the enthalpy remains constant.
The enthalpy, H , is defined as
H = U+PV
where U is internal energy, P is pressure, and V is volume.
Under the conditions of a Joule–Thomson expansion, the
change in PV represents the work done by the fluid (see
the proof below). If PV increases, with H constant, U
then must decrease as a result of the fluid doing work on its
surroundings. This produces a decrease in PV temperature and
results in a positive Joule–Thomson coefficient. Conversely, a
decrease in means that work is done on the fluid and the
internal energy increases. If the increase in kinetic energy
exceeds the increase in potential energy, there will be an
increase in the temperature of the fluid and the Joule–
Thomson coefficient will be negative.
For an ideal gas, PV does not change during a Joule–
Thomson expansion. As a result, there is no change in internal
energy; since there is also no change in thermal potential
15
energy, there can be no change in thermal kinetic energy and,
therefore, no change in temperature. In real gases, PV does
change.
The ratio of the value of PV to that expected for an ideal gas at
the same temperature is called the compressibility factor, Z.
For a gas, this is typically less than unity at low temperature
and greater than unity at high temperature (see the discussion
in compressibility factor). At low pressure, the value
of Z always moves towards unity as a gas expands. Thus at
low temperature, Z and PV will increase as the gas expands,
resulting in a positive Joule–Thomson coefficient. At high
temperature, Z and PV decrease as the gas expands; if the
decrease is large enough, the Joule–Thomson coefficient will
be negative.
For liquids, and for supercritical fluids under high
pressure, PV increases as pressure increases.[16] This is due to
molecules being forced together, so that the volume can barely
decrease due to higher pressure. Under such conditions, the
Joule–Thomson coefficient is negative, as seen in the
figure above.
The physical mechanism associated with the Joule–Thomson
effect is closely related to that of a shock wave, although a
shock wave differs in that the change in bulk kinetic energy of
the gas flow is not negligible.

16
 CHAPTER 4 – Project study
JOULE - THOMSON COEFFICIENT ( μ )JT

17
 JOULE - THOMSON COEFFICIENT ( μ ) JT

Since H is a state function (determined by the thermodynamic

state of the system), dH is a complete differential. Thus, if H is
a function of P and T, i.e., H = f(P, T) then the total
differential of H is
dH = ( ∂∂ HP ) dP+( ∂∂TH ) dT … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … . Equation 1
T P

For a throttling process, dH = 0 Therefore, Equation (1)

becomes
( ∂∂ HP ) dP+( ∂∂TH ) dT =0
T P

Rearranging gives
( ∂∂TH ) dT=−( ∂∂ HP ) dP … … … … … … . at constant H
P T

Therefore
dT
=
( ∂P )
∂H
T
… … … … … at constant H
dP
( ∂T )
∂H
P

Or
( ∂P )
∂H

( dP ) ∂ H … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … .. Equation 2
dT
=
T

H
( ∂T ) P

( )
∂H
∂T P
is the heat capacity of the gas at constant pressure, i.e.( C p )
Equation (2) thus becomes
( dTdP ) =−1
C ∂P )
( ∂H
H
… … … … … … … … … … … … . Equation3
P T

This quantity ( dP ) is called the Joule-Thomson coefficient and

dT
H

it is denoted by the symbol μ . It is equal to the rate of JT

temperature with the pressure in a throttling process (a fluid-

flow process a porous plug or throttle).
μJT =
−1 ∂ H
Cp ∂ P ( ) … … … … … … … … … … … Equation 4
T

18
Joule-Thompson coefficient
of ideal gas
We have , μ JT = ( ) … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … .. Equation 4
−1 ∂ H
Cp ∂ P T

we have , H=U + PV
Differentiating the above equation with respect to P keeping
T constant gives
( ∂∂HP ) =( ∂∂UP ) +[ ∂(PV
T ∂P ]
T
)
… … … … … … … … … Equation5
T

Substituting for ( ∂ P ) , Equation(4 ) becomes

∂H
T

μ =JT
C {(
−1 ∂ U
∂Pp
) +[
∂P ] }
∂ ( PV )
T
… … … … … … … … . Equation 6
T

Since for an ideal gas ( ∂ P ) is zero , as seen earlier and since

∂H
T

PV=RT, PV is constant at constant temperature

[
∂ (PV )
It follows that ∂ P is also zero]T

Equation (6 ) reduces to
μJT =0 … … … … … … … … … … … for ideal gas
The Joule-Thomson coefficient of an ideal gas is zero. As μ =0 JT

, there should be no change of temperature when an ideal gas

expands through a porous plug, i.e., a throttle. Note that
Equation (6) is quite general and is applicable to any gas.

19
 CHAPTER 5- Project study
Proof that the specific enthalpy
remains constant

20
In thermodynamics so-called "specific" quantities are
quantities per unit mass (kg) and are denoted by lower-case
characters. So h, u, and v are the specific enthalpy, specific
internal energy, and specific volume (volume per unit mass, or
reciprocal density), respectively.
In a Joule-Thomson process the specific enthalpy h remains
constant. To prove this, the first step is to compute the net
work done when a mass m of the gas moves through the plug.
This amount of gas has a volume of V1 = m v in the region at 1

pressure P₁(region 1) and a volume V2= m v when in the 2

region at pressure P2 (region 2). Then in region 1, the "flow

work" done on the amount of gas by the rest of the gas is:W₁
= m P v In region 2, the work done by the amount of gas on
1 1

the rest of the gas is: W2 = m P v So, the total work done on
2 2

the mass m of gas is

W= m P v - m P v1 1 2 2

The change in internal energy minus the total work done on

the amount of gas is, by the first law of thermodynamics, the
total heat supplied to the amount of gas.
U −W =Q
In the Joule-Thomson process, the gas is insulated, so no heat
is absorbed. This means that
( mu2−mu2 ) −¿ P1 v 1−m P2 v 2 ¿=0
mu1 +m P1 v 1=mu2 +m P 2 v 2
u1 + P1 v 1=u2 + P2 v 2
where u₁ and u₂ denote the specific internal energies of the
gas in regions 1 and 2, respectively. Using the definition of the
specific enthalpy h = u + Pv, the above equation implies that
h1=h2
where h₁ and h₂ denote the specific enthalpies of the amount
of gas in regions 1 and 2, respectively.

21
Throttling in the T-S
diagram

A very convenient way to get a quantitative

understanding of the throttling process is by using
diagrams such as h-T diagrams, h-P diagrams,
and others. Commonly used are the so-called T-
s diagrams. Figure 2 shows the T-s diagram of
nitrogen as an example.[22] Various points are
indicated as follows:
a. T = 300 K, p = 200 bar, s = 5.16 kJ/(kgK), h =

22
 430 kJ/kg;
b. T = 270 K, p = 1 bar, s = 6.79 kJ/(kgK), h =
430 kJ/kg;
c. T = 133 K, p = 200 bar, s = 3.75 kJ/(kgK), h =
150 kJ/kg;
d. T = 77.2 K, p = 1 bar, s = 4.40 kJ/(kgK), h =
150 kJ/kg;
e. T = 77.2 K, p = 1 bar, s = 2.83 kJ/(kgK), h =
28 kJ/kg (saturated liquid at 1 bar);
f. T = 77.2 K, p = 1 bar, s = 5.41 kJ/(kgK), h =
230 kJ/kg (saturated gas at 1 bar).
As shown before, throttling keeps h constant. E.g.
throttling from 200 bar and 300 K (point a in fig.
2) follows the isenthalpic (line of constant
specific enthalpy) of 430 kJ/kg. At 1 bar it results
in point b which has a temperature of 270 K. So
throttling from 200 bar to 1 bar gives a cooling
from room temperature to below the freezing
point of water. Throttling from 200 bar and an
initial temperature of 133 K (point c in fig. 2) to 1
bar results in point d, which is in the two-phase
region of nitrogen at a temperature of 77.2 K.
Since the enthalpy is an extensive parameter the
enthalpy in d (hd) is equal to the enthalpy in e (he)
23
 multiplied with the mass fraction of the liquid in
d (xd) plus the enthalpy in f (hf) multiplied with
the mass fraction of the gas in d (1 − xd). So
With numbers: 150 = xd 28 + (1 − xd) 230 so xd is about
0.40. This means that the mass fraction of the liquid in
the liquid–gas mixture leaving the throttling valve is
40%.

24
 CHAPTER 6- Project study
Factors affecting joule
Thomson effect

25
 The Joule-Thomson effect is a thermodynamic
process that occurs when a gas expands from high
pressure to low pressure, and the temperature
change is affected by several factors, including:
 Pressure: The pressure of the gas before expansion
affects the Joule-Thomson effect. The pressure
dependence is usually only a few percent for
pressures up to 100 bar.
 Temperature: The Joule-Thomson coefficient varies
with temperature.
 Gas type: The Joule-Thomson coefficient varies
from fluid to fluid.
 Inversion temperature: The temperature at which
the Joule-Thomson coefficient equals zero is called
the Joule-Thomson inversion temperature. The
inversion temperature depends on the pressure of
the gas before expansion.
 Expansion process: The change in temperature
depends on how the expansion takes place. For
example, if the expansion is reversible, the gas
temperature decreases.
The Joule-Thomson effect can be used in gas
fluidization techniques, where a gas is throttled
over a wide range of pressures. This can reduce
26
the gas temperature to its boiling point.

27
 CHAPTER 7 - Project study
The Linde Technique: A
Revolutionary Approach to
Air Separation
( Hampson linde cycle )

28
The Hampson–Linde cycle is a process for the liquefaction of
gases, especially for air separation. William
Hampson and Carl von Linde independently filed for patents
of the cycle in 1895: Hampson on 23 May 1895 and Linde on
5 June 1895.
The Hampson–Linde cycle introduced regenerative cooling, a
positive-feedback cooling system. The heat
exchanger arrangement permits an absolute temperature
difference (e.g. 0.27 °C/atm J–T cooling for air) to go beyond
a single stage of cooling and can reach the low temperatures
required to liquefy "fixed" gases.
The Hampson–Linde cycle differs from the Siemens
cycle only in the expansion step. Whereas the Siemens cycle
has the gas do external work to reduce its temperature, the
Hampson–Linde cycle relies solely on the Joule–Thomson
effect; this has the advantage that the cold side of the cooling
apparatus needs no moving parts.

29
.

30
History and Development of the Linde Process

31
 CHAPTER 8 - Project study
Industrial application and
uses

32
The Joule-Thomson effect is used in a variety of industrial
applications, including:
 Refrigeration

The cooling effect of the Joule-Thomson expansion is used in

refrigerators, heat pumps, and air conditioners.
 Liquefaction

The Joule-Thomson effect is used to liquefy gases in the

petrochemical industry and in cryogenic applications. For
example, it's used to produce liquid nitrogen, oxygen, argon,
and helium.
 HVAC

The Joule-Thomson effect is used in HVAC (Heating,

Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) systems to provide
cooling.
The Joule-Thomson effect is achieved by allowing a gas to
expand through a throttling device, such as a valve, that's well
insulated to prevent heat transfer. The gas must be below its
inversion temperature to be liquefied.

33
CHAPTER 9 - CONCLUSION AND REFERENCE

34
 Conclusion:
The Joule-Thomson effect is a significant
thermodynamic process that describes the
temperature change of a real gas or liquid during
expansion through a valve or porous plug under
constant enthalpy conditions. Key points to
summarize include:
1. The effect is quantified by the Joule-Thomson
coefficient, which can be positive (cooling) or
negative (heating) depending on the gas and its
initial conditions.
2. For most gases at room temperature, expansion
results in cooling, except for hydrogen, helium, and
neon at certain conditions.
3. The effect is crucial in various industrial
applications, particularly in refrigeration,
liquefaction of gases, and cryogenic processes.
4. The Linde technique, based on the Joule-Thomson
effect, revolutionized air separation and gas
liquefaction processes.
5. Factors affecting the Joule-Thomson effect include
pressure, temperature, gas type, and the specific
expansion process.
6. The effect has wide-ranging applications in
35
industries such as petrochemicals, HVAC systems,
and the production of liquid gases like nitrogen,
oxygen, and helium.
Understanding and harnessing the Joule-Thomson
effect has been pivotal in advancing refrigeration
technology and enabling various industrial
processes that rely on gas liquefaction and
temperature control. As our knowledge of
thermodynamics continues to evolve, the Joule-
Thomson effect remains a fundamental principle
with ongoing relevance in both theoretical and
applied sciences.

REFERENCE
CHATGPT
BLACKBOX AI
WIKIPEDIA
INTERNET

36