Thermodynamic crisis of boiling

Abstract

The procedure of calculation of the dynamics of rapid near-wall vaporization near a metallic heater is considered. A physical model of explosive boiling-up on bubbles of fluctuation origin is used. The model is limited to regimes when the motion of bubbles can be ignored and convective flows do not have enough time to develop. It is assumed that the dry spot under a bubble thermally insulates the heater wall. The heat removal is provided by the vicinity of the wetting line (WL). An analytical calculation has become possible on the basis of the well-known exact solution to the problem of the temperature field near the wetting line. Generalization of this solution has led to two new problems. These are the problem of allowance for the difference of the dynamic wetting angle from the right angle and that of allowance for thermocapillary flows. A numerical comparison of the results of calculation of the dry area with the use of different methods of allowing for the “tightness” effect in the dynamics of bubble generation and growth has been made. The evolution of bubbles from their generation to growth limited by the heat supply has been investigated. It has been found that the transition stage in the development of bubbles from Rayleigh to thermal ones is of considerable importance in the processes of explosive boiling-up. The dynamics of change in the dry area and wetting line length prior to the stage of bubble merging into a vapor film has been calculated. A condition of passage of the heat flux through a maximum is found. The applicability of the idea of thermodynamic crisis to calculations of miniature devices is justified. The problem of constructing a model to calculate the interphase surface shape near the wetting line under a developed thermocapillary flow and considerable reactive forces of the vapor flow is formulated. The model is in good agreement with the results of experiments on pulsed superheating of liquids at a rate higher than 1 K/μs.