Experimental study of void fraction profiles in pool boiling on a vertical surface

Abstract

An experimental study of saturated nucleate pool boiling of n-pentane on a vertical surface was conducted. The boiling surface is 120 mm high and 60 mm width. Using hot wire anemometer, void fraction profiles were measured along the height, width, and the normal of the heated surface for different heat fluxes. The output signals of the hot wire anemometer were treated in order to characterize the boiling flow. The contribution of long, average, and short bubbles along the width and the height of the heated surface are identified for various heat flux. Three different boiling regimes were defined and the transition heat flux density was determined and compared to the results of Gaertner [5]. The wavelength of vapor waves formed on the heater was measured and is higher than the critical wavelength characteristic of the Taylor instability. The experimental results showed that the wavelength is independent of the heat flux and increased along the heater height. However, the number of the wetting zones decreased because of the waves merging and stretching. The physical mechanisms that triggering critical heat flux were identified.