ISSN Online: 2377-424X
ISBN Print: 0-89116-130-9
International Heat Transfer Conference 6
BUBBLE DYNAMICS IN NUCLEATE BOILING
Abstract
When a bubble grows rapidly in nucleate boiling, it adopts initially a hemispherical shape, but as growth continues the shape changes until the bubble departs from the heating surface. A model of this process considers independently bubble growth at the top of the bubble and at its base. Inertia forces are calculated and pressure within the bubble derived by a step-by-step calculation. Viscous effects retard growth near the heating surface so that the liquid flow at the base is arrested and reversed while the bubble top continues to expand. The computation can thus lead to the prediction of bubble departure. The model also predicts the growth of a dry patch around the nucleation site. The model has been tested against the limited yet wide-ranging data in the literature.