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Mechanistic models for pool nucleate boiling heat transfer: input and validation

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Abstract

Correlations for nucleate boiling heat transfer should be improved, or in the long term possibly be replaced, by the development of mechanistic simulations that include the non-uniform spacing and variable characteristics of the nucleation sites and non-linear interactions between the sites. This paper discusses the interactions that should be included in simulations and some lessons from a first attempt to validate a particular simulation against experimental spatio-temporal data for wall temperature. Input data for nucleation site positions and characteristics are a particular problem and the prospects for obtaining this data from measurements that are independent of boiling are discussed.

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Abbreviations

D :

Bubble diameter (m)

D o :

[σ/(ρL−ρG)g]0.5

g :

Gravitational acceleration (m/s2)

h :

Height of nucleus (m)

H :

Cavity minimum depth (m)

M :

Mass (kg)

N :

Number of sites

N/A :

Site density (m−2)

p :

Pressure (Pa)

p c :

Critical pressure (Pa)

P5*:

Roughness parameter (m)

q :

Heat flux (W/m2)

R 1 :

Radius of primary bubble (m)

R a :

Average surface roughness (m)

S :

Site separation (m)

t :

Time (s)

t D :

Delay time (s)

t G :

Growth time (s)

t W :

Waiting time (s)

x, y :

Spatial coordinates (m)

β:

Cone half-angle (degree)

ν:

Shape parameter

θ:

Contact angle (degree)

ρG :

Gas density (kg/m3)

ρL :

Liquid density (kg/m3)

σ:

Surface tension (N/m)

σ2 :

Variance

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Acknowledgements

This paper is based in part on work funded by EPSRC Grant GR/M89034.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Brunel University and Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PJ, UK

    David Kenning

  2. University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    Huijuan Xing

  3. University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Iztok Golobič, Matej Bašelj & Vito Lojk

  4. CIMA, University of Genova, Italy

    Jost von Hardenberg

Authors
  1. David Kenning
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  2. Iztok Golobič
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  3. Huijuan Xing
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  4. Matej Bašelj
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  5. Vito Lojk
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  6. Jost von Hardenberg
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Correspondence to David Kenning.

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Kenning, D., Golobič, I., Xing, H. et al. Mechanistic models for pool nucleate boiling heat transfer: input and validation. Heat Mass Transfer 42, 511–527 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00231-005-0648-3

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