Evaporation front propagation over a non-isothermal surface

Abstract

The experiments are performed on R21 freon at a reduced pressure of 0.04 under conditions of natural convection. The propagation velocity of a self-sustaining evaporation front over a heat transfer surface is measured in the presence of a substantial temperature gradient along the heat transfer surface. The stabilization of the front propagation velocity is shown in accordance with the isotherm propagation velocity. The experiments show that when the evaporation front propagates over a heat-transfer surface with a significant temperature gradient, the stabilization of the front velocity occurs on a scale of the order of the capillary constant.