Theory of Subcooled Boiling

Technical Report · Sun Sep 15 04:00:00 EDT 2002

OSTI ID:1183490

Bankoff, S. G. ^[1]; Davis, S. H. ^[1]

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1. Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (United States)

Subcooled boiling refers to boiling from a heated solid surface when the bulk liquid is below the saturation temperature. Particularly, when there is a bulk liquid flow past the surface, the heat fluxes thus sustained can be very large, in fact, subcooled boiling is the most efficient mode of cooling high-heat flux surfaces known, and as such is useful for cooling densely-packed computer microchips, as well as other applications, as in the heat treatment of metals. We have studied several aspects of subcooled boiling from a fundamental aspect, leading, among other things, to a resolution of a long-standing question as to the dominant mechanism of subcooled boiling: vapor transport through an ultrathin layer liquid underneath the growing bubble or stirring of the liquid surrounding the growing-and collapsing bubble.

• Research Organization: Northwestern University, Evanston, IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Research
• DOE Contract Number: FG02-86ER13641
• OSTI ID: 1183490
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English