 Thermomechanical effect

The thermomechanical effect couples a temperature difference to a pressure difference across a superleak. For the closed-chamber model in the apparatus figure, consider neighboring equilibrium states with small velocities, negligible height difference and pure helium-4. Let ${\mu }_m$ be chemical potential per unit mass, in $\mathrm{J}\mathrm{k}{\mathrm{g}}^{-1}$. The Gibbs free energy differential per unit mass givesThe superleak allows the superfluid to redistribute until the two sides have equal ${\mu }_m$. Setting $d{\mu }_m=0$ therefore givesThe sign matters: heating one side at initially equal pressure lowers its ${\mu }_m$; inflow raises its pressure until chemical balance is restored. The hotter side has the higher pressure. The integral follows the constant-${\mu }_m$ path; it need not be evaluated at fixed pressure when material properties vary appreciably.

For an original local example, stipulate constant $\rho =150\mathrm{kg}{\mathrm{m}}^{-3}$, $s=100\mathrm{J}\mathrm{k}{\mathrm{g}}^{-1}{\mathrm{K}}^{-1}$ and $T_h-T_c=0.020\mathrm{K}$. The predicted pressure difference is $300\mathrm{Pa}$. These are teaching assumptions, not helium measurements. This static thermodynamics relation predicts neither the required heater power nor the filling time: those require heat leakage, channel conductance and chamber heat capacity. An outlet would introduce kinetic energy and a flowing balance, so the static $300\mathrm{Pa}$ is not a predicted fountain height.