Investigation of the minimum film boiling temperature on horizontal surfaces

Journal Article · Mon May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1978 · J. Heat Transfer; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1115/1.3450793· OSTI ID:5853605

Yao, S; Henry, R E

The frequency and magnitude of liquid-solid contacts in the film boiling of saturated ethanol and water on horizontal flat stainless steel and copper surfaces are examined with electrical conductance probes. It is observed that, at atmospheric pressure, contacts occur over a wide temperature range and are generally induced by hydrodynamic instabilities. In the ethanol system, these contacts can account for the entire heat transfer rate at the minimum film boiling temperature. The area and duration of contacts are strongly influenced by the dominant nucleation process, and thus depend on the interface temperature and wettability of the solid. At elevated pressures, direct liquid-solid contacts in film boiling are essentially nonexistent for stainless steel and the first major contact corresponds to quenching of the surface. Under these conditions, spontaneous nucleation upon contact seems to be the controlling mechanism for the minimum film boiling temperature. The minimum point appears to be determined either by a Taylor instability vapor removal limitation or by spontaneous nucleation. The governing mechanism is the one which is stable at the lowest wall temperature.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory, Reactor Analysis and Safety Division, Argonne, Ill.
• OSTI ID: 5853605
• Journal Information: J. Heat Transfer; (United States), Journal Name: J. Heat Transfer; (United States) Vol. 100:2; ISSN JHTRA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420400* -- Engineering-- Heat Transfer & Fluid Flow
ALCOHOLS
ALLOYS
BOILING
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
COPPER
CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY TRANSFER
ETHANOL
FILM BOILING
HEAT TRANSFER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
INSTABILITY
INTERFACES
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
METALS
NUCLEATION
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PRESSURE DEPENDENCE
RAYLEIGH-TAYLOR INSTABILITY
STAINLESS STEELS
STEELS
SURFACES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
WATER