Numerical calculation of bubble growth in nucleate boiling from inception through departure

Journal Article · Mon May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1989 · J. Heat Transfer; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1115/1.3250701· OSTI ID:6154960

Lee, R C; Nydahl, J E

The relative contributions of the fundamental mechanisms accounting for theenhanced heat transfer in nucleate boiling are difficult to quantifyanalytically or experimentally. A comprehansive model was developed thatpermits some accurate insights into this problem. An essential feature involvedthe numerical mapping of the complicated geometry to a plane where the bubbleand wall boundaries lie along constant coordinate lines. The results show thatmicrolayer evaporation accounts for 87 percent of the enhanced wall heattransfer during saturated boiling of water at 1 atm and 8.5 K wall superheat.In contrast, enhanced convective effects were essentially nonexistent duringgrowth and minimal following depature. The analysis predicts an extremelynonuniform thermal boundary layer around the bubble, and shows that the wallthermal boundary layer regenerates almost immediately following departure.

• Research Organization: Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-4130(US); Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071 Mem. ASME
• OSTI ID: 6154960
• Journal Information: J. Heat Transfer; (United States), Journal Name: J. Heat Transfer; (United States) Vol. 111:2; ISSN JHTRA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420400* -- Engineering-- Heat Transfer & Fluid Flow
BOILING
BOUNDARY LAYERS
BUBBLE GROWTH
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
ENERGY TRANSFER
EQUATIONS
FINITE DIFFERENCE METHOD
HEAT TRANSFER
ITERATIVE METHODS
LAYERS
NAVIER-STOKES EQUATIONS
NUCLEATE BOILING
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS