Bubble boiling in droplets of water and lithium bromide water solution

Abstract

The dynamics of growth and interaction of vapor bubbles in droplets of pure water and LiBr water solution on a horizontal wall were investigated in a wide superheating range. The growth rates of bubbles were determined both in a distillate droplet and in a salt solution droplet. The bubble growth rate in a pure water droplet at the final stage is somewhat lower than in pool boiling. The bubble growth rate in a salt solution is substantially lower than for pure water. Due to the bubble density maldistribution, the vapor flow density is appreciably higher at the droplet edges than on the droplet axis. Collective behavior of the bubbles possesses both stochastic character and elements of self-organization. The thermal measurements were carried out by means of high-speed video and blowup thermal imager.