Temperature distribution measurement on three-phase contact line in liquid nitrogen using two-color temperature-sensitive paint

Abstract

Cryogenic phase-change phenomena play an important role in a wide range of engineering applications, including cryogenic cooling systems, superconducting technologies, and space propulsion systems. In particular, the three-phase contact line is recognized as a key region governing evaporation and heat transfer. However, direct measurements of temperature distributions near cryogenic three-phase contact lines remain limited because conventional infrared thermography becomes increasingly difficult at extremely low temperatures. In this study, a two-color temperature-sensitive paint (2C-TSP) technique was applied to visualize the temperature field around a liquid‑nitrogen three-phase contact line. A temperature-sensitive dye and a temperature-insensitive reference dye were incorporated into a single coating, enabling robust temperature measurements based on luminescence intensity ratios by compensating for changes in optical intensity caused by refraction and reflection at the liquid–gas interface. Temperature distributions were measured under three heating conditions with heat fluxes of 1.1 × 10 2 , 4.3 × 10 2 , and 9.0 × 10 2 W / m 2 . The measured temperature fields revealed a localized temperature minimum at the observed three-phase contact line, suggesting localized cooling associated with phase change. Quantitative analysis showed that the average temperature in the liquid region remained nearly constant, whereas the temperature in the gas region increased with increasing heat flux. These observations reveal a non-uniform thermal structure around the cryogenic three-phase contact line. The present results demonstrate that 2C-TSP is a promising technique for direct visualization of temperature fields around cryogenic three-phase contact lines and provides new insights into phase-change phenomena in liquid nitrogen.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer, 2026 · DOI ↗