Theoretical Evaporation Model of a Single Droplet in Laser Treatment of PWS in Conjunction With Cryogen Spray Cooling

Abstract

Cryogen spray is an effective cooling technique used for laser treatment of Port Wine Stain. The cooling process involves complex droplet evaporation and strong convective heat and mass transfer, therefore a deep understanding of spray characteristics is essential in order to optimize the nozzle design and improve the cooling efficiency of the spray. This paper improves a theoretical model to describe the equilibrium evaporation process of a single cryogen droplet in cryogen spray. The results of comparative analysis of gas phase models for single droplet heating and evaporation are presented. Six different semi-theoretical models based on various assumptions are compared and their effects on a single droplet heating and evaporation characteristics in the process of cryogen R-134a spray cooling are compared. It is pointed out that the gas phase model, in which the effect of superheat is taken into account, predicts the evaporation process closest to the experimental data. Finally, a parametric study of the influences of initial diameter and velocity on the droplet evaporation is then carried out. The results can be used to guide the Cryogen Spray Cooling of laser therapy.