Bubble-Growth Calculation Without Neglect of Interfacial Discontinuities

Abstract

The object of this theoretical investigation is to determine the importance of the nonequilibrium region, which exists at the bubble wall, on the growth of a vapor bubble. All previous investigators concerned with bubble growth have completely neglected this nonequilibrium effect. In another paper [1] Bornhorst and Hatsopoulos investigated the phase-change problem, and the results which were obtained are applied here to solve the special problem of vapor bubble growth. The results are presented in terms of a two-parameter set of curves. These results show that for pressures where experimental results are available, the nonequilibrium effects are within experimental error; however, for pressures which are somewhat lower, the nonequilibrium effects become very important.