Effects of Gap Geometry and Gravity on Boiling Around a Constrained Bubble in 2-Propanol/Water Mixtures

Abstract

In this study, boiling experiments were conducted with 2-propanol/water mixtures in confined gap geometry under various levels of gravity. The temperature field created within the parallel plate gap resulted in evaporation over the portion of the vapor-liquid interface of the bubble near the heated surface, and condensation near the cold surface. Full boiling curves were obtained and two boiling regimes—nucleate boiling and pseudofilm boiling—and the transition condition, the critical heat flux (CHF), were identified. The observations indicated that the presence of the gap geometry pushed the nucleate boiling regime to a lower superheated temperature range, resulting in correspondingly lower heat flux. With further increases of wall superheat, the vapor generated by the boiling process was trapped in the gap to blanket the heated surface. This caused premature occurrence of CHF conditions and deterioration of heat transfer in the pseudo-film boiling regime. The influence of the confined space was particularly significant when greater Marangoni forces were present under reduced gravity conditions. The CHF value of x (molar fraction)=0.025, which corresponded to weaker Marangoni forces, was found to be greater than that of x=0.015 with a 6.4mm gap.