Rapid Boiling of a Two-Phase Droplet in an Immiscible Liquid at High Superheat

Abstract

This work studies experimentally the rapid boiling of a droplet rising in a host liquid environment, within a range of superheats (0.2<Ja∗<0.5) not previously investigated. The direct-contact rapid-boiling process has many advantages in the fields of heat exchange and multiphase flow. By taking into account the superheat, heat transfer, and hydrodynamics of the multiphase-droplet the aim of this study is to create greater insight into the character of this transient-boiling process, for the first time. The sudden depressurization of a water column led to the rapid boiling of liquid propane droplets rising by buoyancy. During this millisecond boiling distinct stages were identified. Appropriate critical times for the transition between stages were defined by a simplified model, among these a novel criterion for the sudden pause in boiling caused by the engulfing liquid-film's collapse. Good agreement was found between these predicted time-points and measured changes in the boiling profile. This form of boiling, though being very rapid and sustaining high heat transfer rates, is still calm in nature, therefore, more predictable and widely applicable. Understanding this form of boiling suggests that the “design” of the boiling curve may be possible by setting the initial parameters.