Integration of Boiling Experiments in the Undergraduate Heat Transfer Laboratory

Abstract

This paper presents two boiling experiments that can be integrated in the undergraduate heat transfer laboratory. The objective of these experiments is to enhance the understanding of the boiling process by undergraduate mechanical engineering students. These experiments expose students to several important concepts in boiling, such as subcooled boiling, modes of pool boiling, and the Leidenfrost phenomenon. The experimental set-up required to carry out these experiments is simple. It includes metallic plates such as brass, stainless steel or aluminium, a heating source such as a heating pad, thermocouples, a stopwatch, a liquid dropper, and a camera. The equipment is inexpensive and available in almost all undergraduate heat transfer laboratories.