A removable temperature sensors holder for cryogenic Rayleigh-B\'enard convection cell

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel removable holder for miniature temperature sensors inside a cryogenic Rayleigh-Bénard convection cell, enabling precise temperature mapping without disturbing the turbulent flow of helium gas at 5 K.

Contribution

The authors developed a specialized, removable sensor holder compatible with high-pressure cryogenic conditions, allowing multiple sensors to be installed and replaced easily in a turbulent convection cell.

Findings

Successfully mapped temperature and fluctuations at 12 positions

Designed holder withstands 2.5 bar overpressure

Enabled non-intrusive temperature measurements in cryogenic turbulence

Abstract

A removable holder carrying a set of miniature temperature sensors inside our Rayleigh-B\'enard convection cylindrical cell has been developed. The sensors should not disturb the temperature and velocity fields of the buoyancy-driven turbulent flow of our working fluid - cryogenic helium gas (~ 5 K). The cell, 300 mm both in diameter and height, must withstand the overpressure up to 2.5 bar, which is why all its parts are welded together. The holder consists of a pair of identical feedthroughs (each with 6 glass-sealed pins), constantan wires (0.1 mm), Be bronze springs and insulating elements and enables installing up to 6 sensors simultaneously, with the option to replace the damaged ones. We already used two such holders and obtained a map of local temperature and its fluctuations in 12 positions inside the cell.