Flow boiling behaviors in hydrophilic and hydrophobic microchannels

Surface wettability is a critical parameter in small scale phenomena, especially two-phase flow, since the surface force becomes dominant as size decreases. In present study, experiments of water flow boiling in hydrophilic and hydrophobic rectangular microchannels were conducted to investigate the wettability effect on flow boiling in rectangular microchannels. The rectangular microchannels were fabricated with a photosensitive glass to visualize flow pattern. The hydrophilic bare photosensitive glass microchannel was chemically treated to obtain a hydrophobic microchannel. And, visualization of flow patterns was carried out. And boiling heat transfer and two-phase pressure drop was analyzed with visualization results. The boiling heat transfer coefficient in the hydrophobic rectangular microchannel was higher than that in the hydrophilic rectangular microchannel, which was highly related with nucleation site density and liquid film motion. And the pressure drop in the hydrophobic rectangular microchannel was higher than that in the hydrophilic rectangular microchannel, which was highly related with unstable motions of bubble and liquid film. Finally, we find out the wettability is important parameter on the flow pattern, which were highly related with two-phase heat and mass transfer.     

A study of nucleate bubble growth on microstructured surface through high speed and infrared visualization

We studied bubble growth on a microstructured surface during nucleate boiling using optical high-speed and infrared (IR) cameras. The effects of structured surfaces on bubble growth and dynamics were examined and their role analyzed with the use of simple models. A smooth, bare surface was prepared, and four microstructured test sample surfaces were fabricated with microscale gaps ranging from 5 to 80 µm. The optical high-speed camera was used to observe the bubble growth profile with high temporal resolution; the IR camera was focused on the underside of the sample for direct visualization of the boiling process. Overall, the microstructured surfaces produced more bubbles, a lower frequency and nucleation site density than the bare surface for the low heat flux range (100–300 kW/m²), corresponding to the isolated bubble growth regime. The liberated bubble size was dependent on the size of the microstructure gap. Analysis of the high-speed images revealed that the liquid between the microstructures did not evaporate during bubble growth; however, during the initial growth stage, there was a brief period in which the liquid at the nucleation site evaporated. The large surface area and relatively high number of nucleation points contributed to enhanced bubble growth on the structured surfaces.     

两相临界流

由于两相临界流在压水反应堆安全分析中的重要性，在过去的４０年内，两相临界流一直是一个活跃的分支学科。本文对压水堆失水事故常用的两相临界流均匀平衡模型、滑移模型、考虑相间热力学非平衡效应的简化模型及两流体模型做了综述。结论是到目前为止，没有一个数学模型能准确预测各种参数范围、各种通道形状的临界流量。特定的模型只能适用于特定的情况。本文对非平衡两相流中汽泡成核、汽泡生长、相界面间质量、动量、能量交换的机理给予了更多的关注。     

A hybrid method for bubble geometry reconstruction in two-phase microchannels

Understanding bubble dynamics is critical to the design and optimization of two-phase microchannel heat sinks. This paper presents a hybrid experimental and computational methodology that reconstructs the three-dimensional bubble geometry, as well as provides other critical information associated with nucleating bubbles in microchannels. Rectangular cross-section silicon microchannels with hydraulic diameters less than 200 μm were fabricated with integrated heaters for the flow experiments, and the working liquid used was water. Bubbles formed via heterogeneous nucleation and were observed to grow from the silicon side walls of the channels. Two-dimensional images and two-component liquid velocity field measurements during bubble growth were obtained using micron-resolution particle image velocimetry (μPIV). These measurements were combined with iterative three-dimensional numerical simulations using finite element software, FEMLAB. The three-dimensional shape and location of the bubble were quantified by identifying the geometry that provided the best match between the computed flow field and the μPIV data. The reconstructed flow field through this process reproduced the experimental data within an error of 10–20%. Other important information such as contact angles and bubble growth rates can also be estimated from this methodology. This work is an important step toward understanding the physical mechanisms behind bubble growth and departure.     

A new model for nucleate boiling heat transfer

A new model to calculate heat transfer coefficients in nucleate boiling is presented. Heat transfer and fluid flow around a single bubble are investigated taking into account the influence of meniscus curvature, adhesion forces and interfacial thermal resistance on the thermodynamic equilibrium at the gas-liquid interface. The model requires only bubble site densities and departure diameters. Further quantities except the thermophysical properties are not needed. From the results bubble growth rates can be derived. As an example nucleate boiling heat transfer coefficients of R-114 were calculated. They agree with experimental values within the experimental accuracy.     

Simulation of flow boiling in micro-channels: Effects of inlet flow rate and hot-spots

This paper presents the findings of a numerical study on the flow boiling in a micro-channel heat sink. The Navier-Stokes equations, energy equation, and the continuity equation are solved in a finite-volume framework using the front-tracking method. The numerical method is validated by comparison with the experimental results for a slug bubble growth, and vertical flow boiling. The numerical method is then used to study the effect of changing the inflow mass-velocity on the heat transfer coefficient, bubble size distribution, and the bubble nucleation frequency for a constant heat flux. The mean heat transfer coefficient of all the cases is found to be nearly twice that of the single-phase heat transfer coefficient. The bubble nucleation frequency is found to increase monotonically with the inflow mass-velocity. The bubble size distribution along the channel is found to become flatter as the mass-velocity is increased. We identify three distinct phases of the bubble evolution, namely the initial rapid growth phase, the boiling dominant phase, and finally the condensation dominant phase. Subsequently, the numerical method is used to study the effect of having a hot-spot near the bubble nucleation site on the heat transfer characteristics. It is found that the bubble nucleation frequency increases and the bubbles’ maximum volume decreases as the intensity of the hot-spot is increased for a fixed inlet flow rate. It is also observed that the average heat transfer coefficient does not change significantly with changing the intensity of the hot-spot, and that the bubble size distribution along the channel becomes flatter as the intensity of the hot-spot is increased.     

Electric field effects during nucleate boiling from an artificial nucleation site

An experimental study of saturated pool boiling from a single artificial nucleation site on a polished copper surface has been performed. Isolated bubbles grow and depart from the artificial cavity and the bubble dynamics are recorded with a high speed camera. Experimental results are obtained for bubble growth, departure and vertical rise both with and without the application of an electric field between an upper electrode and the boiling surface. As detailed in a previous paper from the same research group the high spatial and temporal resolution of the video sequences facilitated the development of a baseline experimental bubble growth law which predicts the bubble volumetric growth characteristics for a range of surface superheats at atmospheric pressure. The presence of an electric field has been found to positively augment the convective heat transfer over that of buoyant natural convection. Further to this, for high electric field strengths, the bubble shape, volumetric growth characteristics and bubble rise are different from that of the baseline cases. These results provide compelling evidence that electric fields can be implemented to alter the bubble dynamics and subsequent heat transfer rates during boiling of dielectric liquids.     

Dynamic characteristics of microscale boiling

Microscale boiling displays some quite unusual characteristics, like the occurrence of the so-called “fictitious boiling”. This paper conducted the thermodynamic and dynamic analyses regarding the phase change and bubble nucleation in microchannels. The role of perturbations on the dynamics of bubble embryos was investigated, whence the possible causes corresponding to the depression of bubble nucleation in microscale boiling were proposed through stochastic analysis. The external perturbations produced by pressure impulses accompanied with embryo growth and collapse could markedly alter the dynamic characteristics of bubble growth. Received on 27 March 2000     

CFD modelling of most probable bubble nucleation rate from binary mixture with estimation of components’ mole fraction in critical cluster

The employment of different mathematical models to address specifically for the bubble nucleation rates of water vapour and dissolved air molecules is essential as the physics for them to form bubble nuclei is different. The available methods to calculate bubble nucleation rate in binary mixture such as density functional theory are complicated to be coupled along with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach. In addition, effect of dissolved gas concentration was neglected in most study for the prediction of bubble nucleation rates. The most probable bubble nucleation rate for the water vapour and dissolved air mixture in a 2D quasi-stable flow across a cavitating nozzle in current work was estimated via the statistical mean of all possible bubble nucleation rates of the mixture (different mole fractions of water vapour and dissolved air) and the corresponding number of molecules in critical cluster. Theoretically, the bubble nucleation rate is greatly dependent on components’ mole fraction in a critical cluster. Hence, the dissolved gas concentration effect was included in current work. Besides, the possible bubble nucleation rates were predicted based on the calculated number of molecules required to form a critical cluster. The estimation of components’ mole fraction in critical cluster for water vapour and dissolved air mixture was obtained by coupling the enhanced classical nucleation theory and CFD approach. In addition, the distribution of bubble nuclei of water vapour and dissolved air mixture could be predicted via the utilisation of population balance model.     

An updated three-zone heat transfer model for slug flow boiling in microchannels

This work proposes a novel physics-based model for the fluid mechanics and heat transfer associated with slug flow boiling in horizontal circular microchannels to update the widely used three-zone model of Thome et al. (2004). The heat transfer model has a convective boiling nature and predicts the time-dependent variation of the local heat transfer coefficient during the cyclic passage of a liquid slug, an evaporating elongated bubble and a vapor plug. The capillary flow theory, extended to incorporate evaporation effects, is applied to estimate the bubble velocity along the channel. A liquid film thickness prediction method also considering bubble proximity effects, which may limit the radial extension of the film, is included. The minimum liquid film thickness at dryout is set to the channel wall roughness. Theoretical heat transfer models accounting for the thermal inertia of the liquid film and for the recirculating flow within the liquid slug are utilized. The heat transfer model is compared to experimental data taken from three independent studies. The 833 slug flow boiling data points cover the fluids R134a, R245fa and R236fa, and channel diameters below 1 mm. The proposed evaporation model predicts more than 80% of the database to within ±30%. It demonstrates a stronger contribution to heat transfer by the liquid slugs and correspondingly less by the thin film evaporation process compared to the original three-zone model. This model represents a new step towards a complete physics-based modelling of the bubble dynamics and heat transfer within microchannels under evaporating flow conditions.     

Bubble growth in saturated pool boiling in water and surfactant solution

The presence of surfactant additives in water was found to enhance the boiling heat transfer significantly. The objective of the present investigation is to compare the bubble growth in water to that of a surfactant solution with negligible environmental impact. The study was conducted at two values of heat fluxes to clarify the effect of the heat flux on the dynamics of bubble nucleation. The bubble growth under condition of pool boiling in water and non-ionic surfactant solution was studied using high speed video technique. The bubble generation was studied on a horizontal flat surface; and the natural roughness of the surface was used to produce the bubbles.     

Study on heat transfer performance of spray cooling: model and analysis

In consideration of droplet–film impaction, film formation, film motion, bubble boiling (both wall nucleation bubbles and secondary nucleation bubbles), droplet–bubble interaction, bulk air convection and radiation, a model to predict the heat and mass transfer in spray cooling was presented in this paper. The droplet–film impaction was modeled based on an empirical correlation related with droplet Weber number. The film formation, film motion, bubble growth, and bubble motion were modeled based on dynamics fundamentals. The model was validated by the experimental results provided in this paper, and a favorable comparison was demonstrated with a deviation below 10%. The film thickness, film velocity, and non-uniform surface temperature distribution were obtained numerically, and then analyzed. A parameters sensitivity analysis was made to obtain the influence of spray angle, surface heat flux density, and spray flow rate on the surface temperature distribution, respectively. It can be concluded that the heat transfer induced by droplet–film impaction and film-surface convection is dominant in spray cooling under conditions that the heated surface is not superheated. However, the effect of boiling bubbles increases rapidly while the heated surface becomes superheated.     

Photographic study of bubble dynamics for pool boiling of refrigerant R11

A digital photographic study of pool boiling with R11 was performed on a horizontal transparent heater at pressure at 0.1 MPa. A high-speed digital camera was applied to record the bubble behaviors of boiling process. The departure diameter, departure time, and nucleation site density at different heat flux were obtained. From the video images, it can be concluded that evaporation of microlayer is very important to the growth of bubble. It was also observed that there is not any liquid replenished into the microlayer below the bubble. In addition, bubble growth curve and dry-out area growth curve could be determined by analyzing the images. Based on the experimental result, boiling curve for R11 was predicted by using the dynamic microlayer model. As a result, the agreement between the predictions and the experiment data is good at high heat flux.     

An experimental investigation of flow boiling in an asymmetrically heated rectangular microchannel

By using unique experimental techniques and carefully constructed experimental apparatus, the characteristics of flow boiling of water in microscale were investigated using a single horizontal rectangular microchannel. A polydimethylsiloxane rectangular microchannel (D_h = 103.5 and 133 μm) was fabricated by using the replica molding technique, a kind of soft lithography. A piecewise serpentine platinum microheater array on a Pyrex substrate was fabricated with the surface micromachining MEMS technique. Real time flow visualization of the phase change phenomena inside the microchannel was performed using a high speed CCD camera with microscope. The experimental local boiling heat transfer coefficients were studied, and single bubble inception, growth, and departure, as well as elongated bubble behavior were analyzed to elucidate the microscale heat transfer mechanisms. Tests were performed for mass fluxes of 77.5, 154.9, and 309.8 kg/m² s and heat fluxes of 180–500 kW/m². The effects of mass flux, heat flux, and vapor qualities on flow boiling heat transfer in a microchannel were studied.     

Stability of nucleation sites in pool boiling

A study was carried out to observe bubble nucleation and site deactivation mechanisms under equilibrium pool boiling of liquids on single sites. The experiments were conducted with benzene, ethanol, and their mixtures on single sites made of glass. These mechanisms were filmed using a cine camera as the temperature of the boiling liquid was decreased in programmed steps. The experiments showed that the deactivation of a bubble nucleation site in the surface occurred by progressive condensation of vapor within it until the volume of vapor became equal to or smaller than the volume of a spherical bubble of diameter equal to that of the site. Based upon these experimental observations, a site deactivation mechanism is proposed for heterogeneous pool boiling and stability criteria are developed for single cylindrical cavities. The effect of relevant parameters on depth-to-diameter ratio of the sites is also determined.     

Interface oscillation of subcooled flow boiling in locally heated microchannels

An investigation was conducted to understand flow boiling of subcooled de-ionized water in locally heated parallel microchannels. High-speed visualization technology was employed to visually observe the transient phase change process in an individual microchannel. Signal analysis method was employed in studying the interface movement and phase change process. The phase change at locally heated condition was different from those at entirely heated condition where elongated bubble(s) stayed quasi-stable for a long time without venting out. Diversified and intensive interface oscillation was observed occurring on both of the upstream and downstream bubble caps. Evaporation and condensation modes were characterized with distinguished oscillation frequencies. The film-driven oscillations of both evaporating and condensing interfaces generally operated at higher frequencies than the oscillations driven by nucleation or dropwise condensation.     

Experimental study of pool temperature effects on nucleate pool boiling

Nucleate pool boiling experiments with constant wall temperature were performed using pure R113 for subcooled, saturated, and superheated pool conditions. A microscale heater array and Wheatstone bridge circuits were used to maintain the constant wall temperature and to measure the instantaneous heat flow rate accurately with high temporal and spatial resolutions. Images of bubble growth were taken at 5000 frames per second using a high-speed CCD camera synchronized with the heat flow rate measurements. The bubble geometry was obtained from the captured bubble images. The effect of the pool conditions on the bubble growth behavior was analyzed using dimensionless parameters for the initial and thermal growth regions. The effect of the pool conditions on the heat flow rate behavior was also examined. The bubble growth behaviors during subcooled, saturated, and superheated pool boiling were analyzed using a modified Jakob number that we newly defined. Dimensionless time and bubble radius parameters with the modified Jakob number characterized the bubble growth behavior well. These phenomena require further analysis for various pool temperature conditions, and this study will provide good experimental data with precise constant wall temperature boundary condition for such works.     

Nucleate boiling heat transfer: possibilities and limitations of theoretical analysis

The paper considers the different ways of nucleate boiling investigation, and in particular, presents the analysis of the latest numerical studies of the nucleate boiling primary processes (isolated bubble growth, thin liquid film flow and evaporation near the nucleation site). Many features of the process that were only the hypothesis became established facts after the direct numerical simulation. However, in spite of their undoubted usefulness these investigations cannot be applied for practical calculations. The high complexity of the phenomena comprising nucleate boiling excludes practically the possibility of strict theoretical analysis of the process. Under this situation development of an approximate theory of nucleate boiling retains its validity at present. Such a theory has been developed by the author in 1988. It reveals the main regularities of the nucleate boiling and leads to the predicting equation for heat transfer, which includes two empirical numerical factors. On the basis of the model developed the method of calculation of heat transfer in boiling of binary mixtures is proposed. To improve the existing predicting equations for boiling heat transfer it seems to be especially important to ground theoretically the nucleation sites density dependence on the wall superheat and liquid properties.     

A method of concurrent thermographic–photographic visualization of flow boiling in a minichannel

A method is developed to capture the distribution of surface temperature while simultaneously imaging the bubble motions in diabatic flow boiling in a horizontal minichannel. Liquid crystal thermography is used to obtain highly resolved surface temperature measurements on the uniformly heated upper surface of the channel. High-speed images of the flow field are acquired simultaneously and are overlaid with the thermal images. The local surface temperature and heat transfer coefficient can be analyzed with the knowledge of the nucleation site density and location, and bubble motion and size evolution. The horizontal channel is 1.2 mm high × 23 mm wide × 357 mm long, and the working fluids are Novec 649 and R-11. Optical access is through a machined glass plate which forms the bottom of the channel. The top surface is an electrically heated 76 μm-thick Hastelloy foil held in place by a water-cooled aluminum and glass frame. The heat loss resulting from this construction is computed using a conduction model in Fluent. The model is driven by temperature measurements on the foil, glass plate and aluminum frame. This model produces a corrected value for the local surface heat flux and enables the computation of the bulk fluid temperature and heat transfer coefficient along the channel. The streamwise evolution of the heat transfer coefficient for single-phase laminar flow is compared to theoretical values for a uniform-flux boundary condition. Examples of the use of the facility for visualizing subcooled two-phase flows are presented. These examples include measurements of the surface temperature distribution around active nucleation sites and the construction of boiling curves for locations along the test surface. Points on the curve can be associated with specific image sequences so that the role of mechanisms such as nucleation and the sliding of confined bubbles may be discerned.