Subcooled Boiling in the Ultrasonic Field—On the Cause of Microbubble Emission Boiling

Abstract

Subcooled quasi-pool boiling for water and for ethanol aqueous solutions of 10% by weight (10wt%) and 50wt% and ethanol in an ultrasonic field was experimentally performed for the upward flat heating surface of a copper block with 10 mm diameter under atmospheric conditions. Tested liquid subcooling was 15 K, 20 K, and 25 K for water and aqueous solutions of ethanol and 20 K, 30 K, and 40 K for 100wt% ethanol. At 20 K of liquid subcooling for water and ethanol aqueous solutions, no microbubble emission boiling (MEB) has been observed in quasi-pool boiling. Even if MEB occurs, the heat flux levels off and it turns easily to film boiling. In an ultrasonic field, MEB occurs remarkably. Then the heat flux increases to higher than the ordinary critical heat flux as observed in highly subcooled boiling. The experimental results show that the ultrasonic vibration introduces instability of the interface of liquid and vapor and accelerates MEB at 20 K of liquid subcooling for water and aqueous solutions of ethanol. At 15 K of liquid subcooling for water and aqueous solutions, no effect of ultrasonic vibration is observed. However, at 25K of liquid subcooling, the ultrasonic vibration extends MEB region to higher superheating of the heating surface for aqueous solutions of ethanol. The maximum heat flux in MEB decreases with increasing of ethanol concentration and becomes critical heat flux for 100wt% ethanol. No effect of ultrasonic vibration on boiling is observed for the 100wt% ethanol in these experiments.