Saturated, nucleate pool boiling on a horizontal, cylindrical heater in aqueous solutions of a fluorosurfactant (FS-50) is experimentally investigated. FS-50 is a long chain molecule of fluorinated carbon atoms, and it produces very low dynamic surface tension (varying from 72.5 mN/m to 17.4 mN/m with surface age and concentration) in aqueous solutions. Boiling curves (given by the variation of heat flux with wall superheat) and photographic records of the ebullient behavior are presented, along with a detailed characterization of the interfacial tension of the solutions. It is seen that nucleate pool boiling behavior of water is significantly altered by the addition of FS-50, and the heat transfer is increased. The enhancement in boiling is seen to stem from the substantial changes in the interfacial properties. A rather complex interplay of dynamic interfacial tension and surface wetting due to varying surfactant concentrations is seen to affect the phase change ebullient dynamics and associated heat transfer.

Volume Subject Area:
Heat and Mass Transport Processes
Topics:
Nucleate pool boiling, Water, Surface tension, Boiling, Heat transfer, Manganese (Metal), Atoms, Carbon, Chain, Dynamics (Mechanics), Heat flux, Photography, Surfactants, Wetting
This content is only available via PDF.
Copyright © 2011
 by ASME
You do not currently have access to this content.