On the temperature distribution in liquid–vapor phase change between plane liquid surfaces

Abstract

The problem of temperature distribution in liquid-vapor phase change between plane liquid surfaces is considered both analytically and experimentally. Classical kinetic theory calculations indicate that for a monatomic vapor, large temperature jumps exist at the interfaces, large enough possibly to cause the temperature distribution to be anomalous. Surprisingly, no experimental results have been reported so far. A continuum analysis, with special consideration of the Knudsen layers, clearly establishes the adverse roles played by polyatomic molecules and the presence of a contaminant gas. The need to work with monatomic vapors under low levels of contamination is clearly indicated. An experimental setup was constructed to measure temperature distributions in the vapor between an evaporating liquid surface and a cooler condensing surface. Temperature distributions were measured using Chromel–Alumel thermocouples. Measurements were made in water, Freon 113, and mercury. The temperature profiles obtained in mercury, over a wide range of temperatures, clearly show large temperature jumps at the interfaces, as large as almost 50% of the applied temperature difference. These results appear to be the first to confirm this important phenomenon.