Contribution Of Heat Transfer Research Articles

Single bischofite precursor droplet evaporation: Modeling and simulation covering the effects of decomposition reactions and environmental variables

Spray pyrolysis is an excellent method to realize high value utilizing industrial waste bischofite. Interacting droplet evaporation characteristics under the combined influence of ambient pressure, temperature, and decomposition reactions are a prerequisite for constructing spray pyrolysis devices. Therefore, this work established a comprehensive heat and mass transfer model during the multi-component droplet evaporation incorporating decomposition reaction. It also delved into the interplay between temperature and pressure, elucidating their combined influence on the decomposition process during evaporation. The results suggest that raising either temperature or pressure alone can speed up the decomposition process; raising both will more successfully increase the rate of decomposition conversion. In addition, a set of non-dimensionless parameters, mth/ml (mass transfer contribution rate) and Qth/Qd (heat transfer contribution rate), are proposed to characterize the contribution of the decomposition reaction to the evaporation process. Under the actual spray pyrolysis conditions, the mass transfer contribution rate, mth/ml, which is varied in a range of 2 %–70 %, indicating the important role of decomposition reaction during the mass transfer process. The maximum value of the heat transfer contribution rate Qth/Qd is less than 10 %, indicating the dominant role of evaporation in the heat transfer process. Based on the analysis, a theoretical direction for modeling may be provided.

Contribution of transient heat transfer to overpressure protection in a passive Boiling Water Reactor

The BWRX-300 reactor is a small modular reactor with 300 MW nominal electric power output. As the abbreviation indicates, the reactor is a boiling type reactor using water as the coolant. The main operating principle of the reactor model is the use of natural circulation of the coolant for both steady-state operation and emergency cooling of the reactor. Isolation Condenser Systems (ICS) have been used in early BWRs and were reintroduced in the 1990s to implement passive safety.Modern technologies enable effective simulation of objects of various complexity. In this study, the thermal-hydraulic system code TRACE v.5 is used to simulate BWRX-300 reactor plant operation. The software enables calculation of a system consisting of the reactor pressure vessel and ICS in both steady-state and transient operation.The ICS is an emergency cooling system borrowed from the previous generation of GE Hitachi BWRs, the ESBWRs, and it consists of a vertical tube bundle heat exchanger immersed in a water tank. Although this system design remains unchanged, its purpose is different. The BWRX-300 design completely eliminates safety and relief valves. This is why the ICS must perform both overpressure protection and long term heat dissipation functions.Three reactor plant operation states were simulated: normal operation with nominal parameters; reactor isolation; and the transient process into the cooling down mode by reactor shutdown and ICS activation. The results demonstrate that the ICS is capable to mitigate overpressure transients. Upon ICS startup, its metallic structures absorb heat well in excess of its nominal steady-state rating. Initial thermal inertia of the system is important for overpressure mitigation in transients.

Experimental and numerical investigation of heat transfer modes on pot surfaces in a power range of a cooking porous burner

The investigation of convective and radiative heat transfers to a cooking pot in a porous burner, coupled with an analysis of the pot's bottom and side contributions to total heat transfer, remains an underexplored area of research. In this study, we adopt a comprehensive approach, combining experimental measurements and 3D numerical models, to explore the practical application of a Silicon carbide porous burner fueled with natural gas in cooking pots with power ranging from 12.15 kW to 31.04 kW. Three primary aspects are examined: differentiating between radiative and convective heat transfer contributions, investigating porous mixing characteristics, and analyzing the burner's thermal and combustion efficiencies. To facilitate this investigation, a dedicated test bench is meticulously designed and constructed, equipped with state-of-the-art measuring instruments to effectively monitor the thermal behavior of the heating process. The results reveal that the higher Damköhler number at higher power, driven by the dominance of chemical time over mixing time, accentuates the importance of chemical reactions in heat transfer to the pot. Moreover, increasing the power leads to a reduction in the burner's overall thermal efficiency, from 29.2% to 18.8%, due to a higher energy waste percentage, escalating from 45.12% at P = 12.15 kW to 65.31% at P = 31.04 kW. This increase in power also strengthens the downward movement of the flame and its detachment from the pot surface. The pot's bottom contribution to total heat transfer ranged from 76.7% to 95.5%, with convection alone accounting for over 98% in all cases. Consequently, optimizing the pot bottom geometry for the purpose of enhancing convection presents promising avenues for significantly boosting thermal efficiency. These findings highlight the potential of the investigated porous burner for efficient and clean combustion in cooking appliances.

Towards the Optimization of Polyurethane Aerogel Properties by Densification: Exploring the Structure–Properties Relationship

The aerogel performance for industrial uses can be tailored using several chemical and physical strategies. The effects of a controlled densification on polyurethane aerogels are herein studied by analyzing their textural, mechanical, sound, optical, and thermal insulating properties. The produced aerogels are uniaxially compressed to different strains (30%–80%) analyzing the consequent changes in the structures and, therefore, final properties. As expected, their mechanical stiffness can be significantly increased by compression (until 55‐fold higher elastic modulus for 80%‐strain), while the light transmittance does not noticeably worsen until it is compressed more than 60%. Additionally, the modifications produced in the heat transfer contributions are analyzed, obtaining the optimum balance between density increase and pore size reduction. The minimum thermal conductivity (14.5%‐reduction) is obtained by compressing the aerogel to 50%‐strain, where the increment in the solid conduction is surpassed by the reduction of the radiative and gas contributions. This strategy avoids tedious chemical modifications in the synthesis procedure to control the final structure of the aerogels, leading to the possibility of carefully adapting their structure and properties through a simple method such as densification. Thus, it allows to obtain aerogels for current and on‐demand applications, which is one of the main challenges in the field.

Heat Transfer and Thermal Efficiency in Oxy-Fuel Retrofit of 0.5 MW Fire Tube Gas Boiler

Industrial boilers cause significant energy wastage that could be mitigated with oxy-fuel combustion versus traditional air combustion. Despite several feasibility studies on oxy-fuel burners, they are widely avoided in industry due to major infrastructural challenges. This study measured the performance and heat transfer characteristics of each component in a 0.5 MW fire tube gas boiler after retrofitting it with an oxy-fuel burner. Comparisons were drawn across three combustion modes—air combustion, oxy-fuel combustion, and oxy-fuel flue gas recirculation (FGR). The Dittus–Boelter equation was employed to predict heat transfer in the fire tube for all combustion modes at full load (100%). Heat transfer in the latent heat section of the economizer was measured and compared with predictions using the Zukauskas equation. With this retrofit, oxy-fuel combustion improved the thermal efficiency by about 3–4%. In oxy-fuel combustion, the flow rate of exhaust gas decreased. When integrated into an existing fire tube boiler, the fire tube’s heat transfer contribution diminished greatly, suggesting the economic viability of a redesigned, reduced fire tube section. Additionally, a new design could address the notable increase in gas radiation from the fire tube in oxy-fuel and FGR, as well as aid in the efficient recovery of condensation heat from exhaust gases.

Model Based Exploration of Physical Parameters for Liquid Hydrogen System Insulation Performance

Cryogenic Systems require a highly efficient insulation so as to limit the heat ingress and boil-off, which is generally achieved through the use of vacuum combined with an insulated media. The performance of Multi layer Insulation (MLI) will be investigated with detailed thermal models developed to account for all the heat transfer contributions, solid conduction, gaseous conduction and radiation. Results are presented for an usual cold vacuum pressure (CVP) corresponding to high vacuum (<10−6 torr) and compared with available experimental measurements for state of the art technologies. The nominal thermal performances are then evaluated for a cold temperature of 20K (representative of liquid hydrogen storage temperature), for a degraded CVP with hydrogen and nitrogen as residual gasses and for increased hot boundary temperatures. Other parameters are also discussed such as, the number of layers, material, layers density, venting options, assembly process and material optical properties. Finally, a sensitivity of the thermal performance is also presented with a pressure gradient through the insulation thickness, that could be induced by cryopumping, materials outgassing, pumping times or small leakages.

On the relative contribution of solid-phase heat transfer in 3D printed baffled logpile catalyst structures

Recently introduced 3D printed baffled logpile catalyst structures provide increased fluid-phase convective heat transfer thanks to a cross-flow regime, leading to a favorable trade-off between heat transfer and pressure drop in fixed bed reactors. The role of the solid-phase heat transfer was not yet addressed, which is the purpose of the current work. Specifically, 3D computational fluid dynamics simulations were used to map the heat transfer — pressure drop trade-off for nine different structures as a function of the superficial velocity and the solid-phase thermal conductivity. It was found that for structures without baffles, the solid-phase heat transfer dominates even at low solid-phase thermal conductivity (0.25Wm−1K−1). As the baffle gap spacing decreases, the fluid-phase contribution becomes increasingly more relevant for the baffled structures, underlining the added value of the baffles. The performance parameters were correlated to facilitate design considerations for reactors with 3D printed catalyst internals (in the range 3<Rep<18). An exemplary reaction case was also presented, through which it is shown that the conversion of the steam methane reforming process can be increased through the use of the baffled structures, further demonstrating the process intensification potential.

Heat Transfer Mechanisms and Contributions of Wearable Thermoelectrics to Personal Thermal Management

Thermoelectricity can assist in creating comfortable thermal environments through wearable solutions and local applications that keep the temperature comfortable around individuals. In the analysis of an indoor environment, thermal comfort depends on the global characteristics of the indoor volume and on the local thermal environment where the individuals develop their activity. This paper addresses the heat transfer mechanisms that refer to individuals, which operate in their working ambient when wearable thermoelectric solutions are used for enhancing heating or cooling within the local environment. After recalling the characteristics of the thermoelectric generators and illustrating the heat transfer mechanisms between the human body and the environment, the interactions between wearable thermoelectric generators and the human skin are discussed, considering the analytical representations of the thermal phenomena. The wearable solutions with thermoelectric generators for personal thermal management are then categorized by considering active and passive thermal management methods, natural and assisted heat exchange, autonomous and nonautonomous devices, and direct or indirect contact with the human body.

A comprehensive heat transfer investigation for impingement/effusion cooling under crossflow conditions

Impingement/effusion cooling is regarded as a highly efficient cooling structure and has been widely adopted in various energy-dependent scenarios. It often exhibits crossflow phenomena due to design or concurrent factors. However, quantifying the individual heat transfer contributions of each cooling structure in impingement/effusion cooling under crossflow conditions remains unclear. In this study, the pressure-sensitive paint and temperature-sensitive paint techniques were adopted to separately evaluate the performance of effusion and impingement cooling under crossflow conditions for a comprehensive heat transfer investigation. Different coolant flow rate (normalized as Rejet = 10,000 to 25,000) and crossflow flow rates (normalized as CMR = 0 to 0.3) were examined. In effusion cooling, cooling effectiveness generally decreased with higher Rejet but improved with increased CMR, except for Rejet = 10,000 and 15,000 with CMR ≥ 0.25, where excessive crossflow coolant negatively affected cooling effectiveness. When comparing cooling effectiveness at the same blowing ratio, higher Rejet with crossflow consistently outperformed, with the maximum improvement reaching 11.55 %. In impingement cooling, the Nusselt number (Nu) increased with Rejet due to enhanced impingement momentum. Crossflow had a detrimental effect at Rejet = 10,000 but showed improvements at Rejet = 15,000 to 25,000. With increasing Rejet, heat transfer performance became less sensitive to varying CMR. Compared to cases without crossflow, the Nu increments at CMR = 0.25 were -5.01 %, 4.03 %, 3.53 %, and 2.64 % for Rejet = 10,000 to 25,000, respectively. It was revealed that crossflow was influential on the impingement cooling, meanwhile, highly influential on the effusion cooling. This study intended to provide a more comprehensive understanding of impingement/effusion cooling and assistance in designing more efficient and tailored cooling strategies for high-performance energy systems.

Quantifying the controlling mechanisms of opposed flow flame spread: Influence of orientation, material, and external heating

The contribution of gas-phase and solid-phase heat transfer on opposed flow flame spread was quantified under a range of experimental conditions. The thermal gradient ahead of the flame front was determined using a temperature reconstruction method from time resolved temperature data. In all conditions tested, both gas phase and solid phase heat transfer displayed significant contributions to heating ahead of the flame front. PMMA samples were tested in three orientations - downward, horizontal, and lateral. It was found that the lateral configuration displayed the highest rate of flame spread (3.54 mm/min) compared to downward (2.67 mm/min) and horizontal (2.54 mm/min). Lateral spread also exhibited a lower magnitude of solid phase heat transfer compared to the other orientations. Trials that were externally heated showed lower contributions of solid phase heat transfer as the applied surface heat flux was increased. Both PMMA and POM samples were used to compare the effects of the presence of a sooting or non-sooting flame. The methodology provided in this work quantifies the relative contributions of gas-phase and solid-phase heat transfer in opposed flame spread scenarios.

On the Centennial of the Academic Careers (1919–2019) of Llewellyn M. K. Boelter and William H. McAdams: American Pioneers in Heat and Mass Transfer

Abstract In the early 1900s, the heat transfer state of the art in the United States of America (U.S.) lagged far behind that in Europe, especially in Germany. The initial 35 years of the 20th century, however, saw major changes take place as the process industry and other research institutions increasingly began requiring a better understanding of heat and mass transfer. While many individuals have since made important contributions to the field, both past and contemporary peers in the heat and mass transfer community have identified two pioneers as having played key roles in this effort in the U.S.: Llewellyn Michael Kraus Boelter of the University of California—Berkley (UC-Berkley) and the University of California—Los Angeles (UCLA), and William Henry McAdams of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). They both started their respective academic positions in 1919, one on the East Coast and the other on the West Coast of U.S. In this paper, the centenary (1919–2019) of their seminal contributions is celebrated by highlighting the early heat and mass transfer developments in the U.S. and the careers of both McAdams and Boelter, which have been integral to this rich history. Many of their heat transfer contributions to the evolution of the field, up to the prevailing times in the 21st century, are documented, along with commentaries and annotations.

Characterization of Flame Spread Over PMMA Using a Temperature Reconstruction Method

ABSTRACT The contribution of heat transfer mechanisms for different configurations of opposed flow flame spread on cast PMMA is presented. Three opposed flow flame spread scenarios are considered, each in a quiescent atmosphere: downward spread on a vertical surface, buoyant horizontal spread (i.e. a pool fire-type spread), and lateral spread along a vertical surface. Video analysis and temperature measurements were used to determine flame spread rates; average flame spread rates were found to be 2.67, 2.54, and 3.54 mm/min for downward, horizontal, and lateral spread, respectively. These differences result from the varying magnitudes of the heat transfer mechanisms (e.g. gas-phase heat transfer and conduction through the solid) due to the changes in the flame characteristics. Past studies have investigated these regimes of flame spread, but have not directly compared experiments from the configurations used here to identify the relative importance of each heat transfer mechanism. Using temperature measurements, the thermal gradient, and hence conductive heat fluxes through the solid, were quantified. This allowed the different rates of heat transfer to be compared across each configuration. Downward and horizontal flame spread displayed similar flame spread rates and similar heat transfer contributions for both the gas phase and solid phase. However, lateral flame spread displayed characteristically higher rates of gas-phase heat transfer compared to downward and horizontal.

Liquid-gas heat transfer characteristics of near isothermal compressed air energy storage based on Spray Injection

Isothermal compressed air energy storage (I-CAES) could achieve high roundtrip efficiency (RTE) with low carbon emissions. Heat transfer enhancement is the key to achieve I-CAES, thus the liquid-gas heat transfer characteristics of near I-CAES system based on spray injection was analyzed in this paper. The liquid-gas heat transfer model and thermodynamic model were established and the effects of design variables on heat transfer rate and energy efficiency were analyzed. The results showed that spray injection can produce considerable heat transfer capacity and effectively suppress air temperature change, but spray injection at initial compression stage will not bring much heat transfer enhancement. Increasing spray flow rate shifts the dominant heat transfer contribution from water bulk to spray heat transfer and increases total heat transfer rate and RTE, however the increase effect of spray injection is more obvious in small-scale CAES. Low water flow rate and large working cylinder volume are recommended to achieve slow compression and expansion processes with enough liquid-gas heat transfer duration, realizing near I-CAES with high RTE. High air storage pressure increases heat transfer rate, but deviates CAES from isothermal system, resulting in low RTE. This research will provide scientific basis for heat transfer enhancement, system design and performance optimization of I-CAES.

Numerical investigation on effects of rib shapes on oscillating flow and heat transfer in heat exchanger channels

Ribs are straightforward and cost-effective to improve the heat exchange efficiency, and the impact of cooling medium driven by the movement of the channel itself can also enhance the heat exchange capacity. This paper investigates the flow patterns of the gas–liquid two-phase flows in a smooth cubic and a cubic with semi-circular ribs by using a high-speed camera under different low-frequency oscillations. A numerical simulation method was used to study the impact of different ribs on each wall at various frequencies. The microscopic flow and heat transfer characteristics of the ribs were analyzed. Reflux occurred near ribs, and the fluid accumulated near the wall under the ribs with a liquid coverage ratio of approximately 79%. After the gas–liquid two-phase flow fully oscillated in the channel, the heat transfer contribution of the top wall to the entire channel reached the greatest value of approximately 40%, and the left and right walls contributed to the entire channel with 21% and 27%, respectively. An additional inertial force of the two-phase flow was sustained in the oscillating environment to form a periodic impingement flow on the rib and hence improve heat transfer. Due to the reflux near the rib, the local minimum values of the heat transfer coefficient appeared on the downwind of the rib. The difference in rib design affected the fluid motion and caused different heat transfer distributions on the top surface. These findings can support the application design of ribs in dynamic heat exchange channels for optimizing heat transfer.

An isothermal constant surface area horizontal helical coil under natural convection and radiative heat loss: A CFD study

This paper presents a numerical analysis of a horizontally oriented constant surface area isothermal helical coil under natural convection heat transfer and surface radiation. Numerical computationsare carried out in the laminar regime of Rayleigh number (104 ≤ Ra ≤ 108), surface emissivity (0 ≤ ε ≤ 1), and geometrical parameters of the helical-coil, like diameter of the coil (8 ≤ D/d ≤ 24), pitch (3 ≤ p/d ≤ 7.5), and coil height (40 ≤ H/d ≤ 60) to study the heat transfer characteristics. This study is used for effectively designing the helical coils, which are typically manufactured at an extremely high temperature. The numerical computation has been validated by comparing the average Nusselt number (Nu) with the previous experimental results. Temperature-dependent fluid properties are incorporated to achieve precise results over a wide range of temperatures. The effect of the geometrical parameters on the heat transfer characteristics has been depicted graphically in terms of average Nu, relative convection and radiation heat transfer rate, and the temperature profile. It is found that the relative contribution of radiative heat transfer is 87.8% at an emissivity of 0.9 and Ra of 10(Ali, 19944), whereas, for an emissivity of 0.1 and Ra of 10(Moawed, 20058), the relative contribution of radiation heat transfer is only 6.4%. Lastly, a correlation has been developed for the average Nu based on all the pertinent parameters which can be beneficial to the engineers in the industry and also academic researchers. The developed correlation has been used to predict the cooling curve of the helical coil in certain situations.

Numerical Assessment of Safe Separation Distance in the Wildland–Urban Interfaces

A safe separation distance (SSD) needs to be considered during firefighting activities (fire suppression or people evacuation) against wildfires. The SSD is of critical interest for both humans and assets located in the wildland–urban interfaces (WUI). In most cases, the safety zone models and guidelines assume a flat terrain and only radiant heating. Nevertheless, injuries or damage do not result exclusively from radiant heating. Indeed, convection must be also considered as a significant contribution of heat transfer, particularly in the presence of the combined effects of sloping terrain and a high wind velocity. In this work, a critical case study is considered for the village of Sari-Solenzara in Corsica (France). This site location was selected by the operational staff since high-intensity fire spread is likely to occur in the WUI during wind-blown conditions. This study was carried out for 4 m high shrubland, a sloping terrain of 12° and a wind speed of 16.6 m/s. The numerical simulations were performed using a fully physical fire model, namely, FireStar2D, to investigate a case of fire spreading, which is thought to be representative of most high wildfire risk situations in Corsica. This study is based on the evaluation of the total (radiative and convective) heat flux received by two types of targets (human bodies and buildings) located ahead of the fire front. The results obtained revealed that the radiation was the dominant heat transfer mode in the evaluation of the SSD. In addition, the predictions were consistent with the criterion established by the operational experts, which assumes that in Corsica, a minimum SSD of 50 m is required to keep an equipped firefighter without injury in a fuelbreak named ZAL. This numerical work also provides correlations relating the total heat flux to the SSD.

Boiling heat transfer of binary and ternary mixtures in multiple rectangular microchannels

In this study, the boiling heat transfer of binary and ternary refrigerant mixtures in a horizontal multiport tube with multiple rectangular microchannels was investigated. The influences of the mass velocity, vapor quality, and heat flux on the heat transfer were evaluated for near- and non-azeotropic mixtures of R410A, R32/CF3I, R32/R1123, R32/R1234yf, R1123/R32/R1234yf, and CO2/R32/R1234yf. The obtained results were compared with those of pure refrigerants R1234yf and R32. For R1234yf at low mass velocity, the flow patterns were estimated as intermittent (plug) and slug-annular flows with an extremely thin liquid film. The heat transfer coefficient decreased when the heat flux was increased because dry patch areas formed and expanded on the sides of the noncircular microchannel. The near-azeotropic mixtures with small temperature glides exhibited heat transfer characteristics similar to those of the pure refrigerant. Conversely, the heat transfer coefficients deteriorated slightly under lower mass velocities. The heat transfer coefficients of binary and ternary mixtures with larger temperature glides were significantly different from those of pure refrigerants and near-azeotropic mixtures; they decreased with decreasing mass velocity owing to mass diffusion resistance. The heat transfer coefficients of binary mixtures with large temperature glides decreased monotonically as the mass velocity decreased, and the heat transfer noticeably deteriorated at lower mass velocities. The heat transfer model was developed for rectangular microchannels by considering the heat transfer contributions of thin liquid film evaporation due to surface force, forced convection, and nucleate boiling. Moreover, this model considers the flow pattern of multiple microchannels, heat transfer degradations due to dry patches and mass diffusion resistance, and dryout incipience quality. The results of the present model agree well with the heat transfer coefficients, including those of binary and ternary mixtures, in the pre- and post-dryout regions with a mean percentage error of 3.1%.

Modulating pore microstructure of silica aerogels dried at ambient pressure by adding N-hexane to the solvent

In this work, a kind of superhydrophobic silica aerogels was prepared at ambient pressure using tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) as precursor. Particularly, N-hexane was added in the solvent to modulation pore microstructure and effect on the insulation properties of samples were analyzed. It is discovered that when the volume ratio of N-hexane to TEOS is 1:2.24 the thermal conductivity of samples can reach the lowest of 0.012 W/m·K. Compared with that of samples no addition of N-hexane, the density is decreased, the theoretical average pore size increases and the total pore volume increases. Due to N-hexane it leads cross-linking between the sol particles stronger and inhomogeneous. Thus gelation process is speeded up resulting in a change in pore structure. Low density can reduce the solid-phase heat transfer, perfect pore microstructure reduces the contribution of gas-phase heat transfer, and only when the two aspects forms a suitable combination it can exhibit optimal thermal insulation performance.

Phase-change cooling of lithium-ion battery using parallel mini-channels cold plate with varying flow rate

In this study, a liquid phase-change cooling module with mini-channels cold plate was designed. The temperature properties of a battery monomer with different cooling conditions and varying discharge rates were investigated. The heat dissipation contribution of latent heat transfer to the overall cooling performance of the mini-channels cold plate was analyzed based on the outlet vapor quality. Particularly, a cooling strategy with varying coolant flow rates was proposed and examined at 3C discharge rate. The results illustrated that the designed battery cooling module had an ideal effect on lowering the battery's surface temperature and increasing the battery's temperature uniformity. Compared to the cooling strategy with constant coolant flow rate, the proposed variable flow cooling strategy better matched the dynamic law of battery heat generation and increased the contribution of the latent heat transfer to the battery cooling, thereby efficiently reducing the coolant consumption and the pump power consumption of the BTMS (battery thermal management system) while providing the same or even superior cooling performance. The findings could assist the optimization of the BTMS and be the reference for the application of the varying flow rate cooling strategy in actual engineering.

Bubble growth on a smooth metallic surface at atmospheric and sub-atmospheric pressure

Bubble growth rate is one of the most important parameters required for the development of accurate mechanistic nucleate boiling heat transfer models. It is also very important for understanding the hydrodynamic forces and the mechanism of bubble departure. This paper presents an experimental study on bubble growth measurements in saturated pool boiling of deionized water on a plain copper surface at atmospheric and sub-atmospheric pressure. The measurements were conducted using a high-speed, high-resolution camera with a microscopic lens. The mechanisms of bubble growth are discussed, while the microlayer evaporation mechanism has been evaluated and discussed using the measured bubble growth curve. The estimated contribution of microlayer evaporation to a single bubble growth is about 70 %, while the contribution of latent heat transfer (evaporation) to the total heat transfer rate from the surface is about 30 %. The remaining 70 % is due to other mechanisms, i.e. conduction and convection. These values were obtained based on the analysis of the bubble growth curve only and agreed with some researchers who conducted local heat transfer measurements using integrated sensors or infrared thermography. These detailed measurement techniques cannot be used with the thick copper block tested in the current study, which was also tested by many researchers in literature and is representative of industrially used surfaces. It was also found that the bubble departure mechanism at atmospheric pressure is due to a static balance between surface tension and buoyancy forces while at sub-atmospheric pressure, it was between buoyancy and liquid inertia forces. The pressure did not have a significant effect on the characteristics of the dynamic contact angle, which was also measured from the instantaneous images of the bubble. It was concluded also that the force balance required for the accurate prediction of departure diameter should be conducted when the two forces are equal, which occurred at time less than the departure time and dynamic contact angle of about 45. In most bubble departure models, researchers recommended the balance to be conducted at the moment of departure when the bubble forms a neck with contact angle of 900 (underestimation to the surface tension force). The analysis of one of the commonly used homogeneous growth models indicated that for homogeneous bubble growth models to be applicable in nucleate boiling, an allowance must be made for the fact that the degree of superheat varies with time during a bubble growth period.