Lift-off Diameter Research Articles

Bubble Lift-off Diameter and Nucleation Frequency in Vertical Subcooled Boiling Flow

A series of experiments were carried out to investigate phenomena from bubble nucleation to lift-off for a subcooled boiling flow in a vertical annulus channel. A high-speed digital video camera was used to capture the bubble dynamics. The bubble lift-off diameter and bubble nucleation frequency were evaluated in terms of heat flux, mass flux, and degree of subcooling. The fundamental features of the lift-off diameter and nucleation frequency (i.e., the variations across nucleation sites and the dependence on the flow and heat flux conditions) were addressed based on the present observation. A database for the bubble lift-off diameter was built by gathering and summarizing the data of Prodanovic et al., Situ et al., and the present experiments. We evaluated the predictive capabilities of Unal's model, Situ et al.'s model, and Prodanovic et al.'s correlation against the database. We obtained the best prediction results by modifying the wall superheat correlation in Unal's model. In addition, we suggested a new correlation for a combined parameter of the bubble nucleation frequency and bubble lift-off diameter.

Simulation of subcooled flow boiling in a micro-channel

Bubble behavior was simulated to analyze the mechanism of subcooled boiling in a micro-channel. Bubble growth, condensation, and collapse in subcooled boiling, as well as the function of the degree of subcooling, lift-off diameter, heat flux, and mass flux are discussed. The influence of surface tension on interfacial heat transfer is likewise presented. In the calculated results, both onset of nucleate boiling and boiling heat transfer are influenced by micro-channel size. The simulated flow pattern corresponds with some experimental results. Findings on the boiling heat transfer from the simulation were compared with experiments.

Analysis of subcooled boiling flow with one-group interfacial area transport equation and bubble lift-off model

To enhance the multi-dimensional analysis capability for a subcooled boiling two-phase flow, the one-group interfacial area transport equation was improved with a source term for the bubble lift-off. It included the bubble lift-off diameter model and the lift-off frequency reduction factor model. The bubble lift-off diameter model took into account the bubble's sliding on a heated wall after its departure from a nucleate site, and the lift-off frequency reduction factor was derived by considering the coalescences of the sliding bubbles. To implement the model, EAGLE (elaborated analysis of gas–liquid evolution) code was developed for a multi-dimensional analysis of two-phase flow. The developed model and EAGLE code were validated with the experimental data of SUBO (subcooled boiling) and SNU (Seoul National University) test, where the subcooled boiling phenomena in a vertical annulus channel were observed. Locally measured two-phase flow parameters included a void fraction, interfacial area concentration, and bubble velocity. The results of the computational analysis revealed that the interfacial area transport equation with the bubble lift-off model showed a good agreement with the experimental results of SUBO and SNU. It demonstrates that the source term for the wall nucleation by considering a bubble sliding and lift-off mechanism enhanced the prediction capability for the multi-dimensional behavior of void fraction or interfacial area concentration in the subcooled boiling flow. From the point of view of the bubble velocity, the modeling of an increased turbulence induced by boiling bubbles at the heated wall enhanced the prediction capability of the code.

Simultaneous measurement of void fraction and fundamental bubble parameters in subcooled flow boiling

Visualization was performed for the vapor bubbles in water subcooled flow boiling in a vertical heated tube to measure simultaneously the void fraction and the four fundamental bubble parameters: nucleation site density, bubble release frequency, bubble lifetime and bubble size. Using the mass flowrate and liquid subcooling as the experimental parameters, the changes of void fraction and bubble parameters with the wall heat flux were measured. The results of image analysis showed that the vapor void fraction could be approximated by the function of nucleation site density and bubble lift-off diameter; the bubble lift-off diameter was more influential than the nucleation site density. It was hence concluded that the bubble lift-off diameter could be regarded as the key parameter to determine the vapor void fraction under the present experimental conditions. The strong relation of bubble lift-off diameter to superheated liquid layer thickness was indicated for the future model development studies of bubble lift-off diameter.

A Visualization Study of Bubble Behavior in Saturated Flow Boiling through a Vertical Mini-Tube

Forced convection saturated R-134a boiling experiments were conducted in a vertical mini-quartz tube coated with a transparent heater; the inner diameter of the tube was 1.33 mm and the heated length 235.5 mm. The dynamics of the saturated boiling process, bubble characteristics, and behavior were studied using a high-speed CCD camera at different mass fluxes in up-flow at 6.425 bar. The heat fluxes were 5 and 20 kW/m2. The flow visualization results show that the bubble departure frequency generally increases as the heat flux increases. In addition, bubble lift-off diameter, growth rate, and velocity after bubble lift-off were determined by analyzing the images.

Bubble lift-off size in forced convective subcooled boiling flow

Forced convective subcooled boiling flow experiments were conducted in a BWR-scaled vertical upward annular channel. Water was used as the testing fluid, and the tests were performed at atmospheric pressure. A high-speed digital video camera was applied to capture the dynamics of the bubble nucleation process. Bubble lift-off diameters were obtained from the images for a total of 91 test conditions. A force balance analysis of a growing bubble was performed to predict the bubble lift-off size. The dimensionless form of the bubble lift-off diameter was formulated to be a function of Jacob number and Prandtl number. The proposed model agreed well with the experimental data within the averaged relative deviation of ±35.2%.

Photographic study of bubble behaviors in forced convection subcooled boiling

Forced convection subcooled water boiling experiments were conducted in a vertical annular channel. A high-speed digital video camera was applied to record the dynamics of the subcooled boiling process. The flow visualization results show that the bubble departure frequency generally increases as the heat flux increases. For some cases, the departure frequency may reach a limit around 1000 bubbles/s. In addition, bubble lift-off diameter, bubble growth rate and bubble velocity after bubble lift-off were determined by analyzing the images. The experimental data obtained from this study can be used in modeling the bubble departure frequency, bubble lift-off diameter, and bubble dynamics in forced convection subcooled boiling.

Single-Bubble Dynamics During Pool Boiling Under Low Gravity Conditions

Results of an experimental study on growth and detachment mechanisms of a single bubble on a heated surface conducted during the parabola e ights of the KC-135 aircraft are described. An artie cial cylindrical cavity 10 πm in diameter was etched in the center of a silicon wafer. The wafer was heated on the back side, and the wall superheat was controlled. Degassed distilled water was used as the test liquid. Bubble growth time, bubble size and shape from nucleation to liftoff were measured under subcooled and saturation conditions at system pressures varying from 0.101 to 0.115 MPa. The wall superheats were varied from 2.5 to 8.0 ±C. Signie cantly larger bubble diametersand longerbubble growth periods than thoseat Earth normal gravity were measured. Bubblediameters as large as 20 mm at liftoff were observed as opposed to about 2.5 mm at Earth normal gravity. Consistent with results of numerical simulations, it is found that for the same wall superheat and liquid subcooling the bubble liftoff diameter can be approximately related to the gravity level through the relation Dd / g i 0:5 and the growth period as tg / g i 1:05 . The effect of wall superheat and liquid subcooling on bubble liftoff diameter is found to be small. However, the growth periods are found to be very sensitive to liquid subcooling at a given wall superheat. Small accelerations along the heater surface can lead to sliding motion of the bubble prior to liftoff. At the same gravitational acceleration the liftoff diameter of sliding bubbles is smaller than that of nonsliding bubbles.