Heating surface material’s effect on subcooled flow boiling heat transfer of R134a

Journal Article · Thu Nov 01 04:00:00 EDT 2012 · International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer

OSTI ID:1062745

Zou, Ling; Jones, Barclay G

In this study, subcooled flow boiling of R134a on copper (Cu) and stainless steel (SS) heating surfaces was experimentally investigated from both macroscopic and microscopic points of view. By utilizing a high-speed digital camera, bubble growth rate, bubble departure size, and nucleation site density, were able to be observed and analyzed from the microscopic point of view. Macroscopic characteristics of the subcooled flow boiling, such as heat transfer coefficient, were able to be measured as well. Experimental results showed that there are no obvious difference between the copper and the stainless surface with respect to bubble dynamics, such as contact angle, growth rate and departure size. On the contrary, the results clearly showed a trend that the copper surface had a better performance than the stainless steel surface in terms of heat transfer coefficient. It was also observed that wall heat fluxes on both surfaces were found highly correlated with nucleation site density, as bubble hydrodynamics are similar on these two surfaces. The difference between these two surfaces was concluded as results of different surface thermal conductivities.

• Research Organization: Idaho National Laboratory (INL)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE - NE
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-05ID14517
• OSTI ID: 1062745
• Report Number(s): INL/JOU-12-24409
• Journal Information: International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, Journal Name: International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer Vol. 58
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
Subcooled flow boiling