Behavioral study of alumina nanoparticles in pool boiling heat transfer on a vertical surface

Experiments were carried out to investigate the pool boiling of alumina‐water nanofluid at 0.1 g/l to 0.5 g/l of distilled water, and the nucleate pool boiling heat transfer of pure water and nanofluid at different mass concentrations were compared at and above the atmospheric pressure. At atmospheric pressure, different concentrations of nanofluids display different degrees of deterioration in boiling heat transfer. The effect of pressure and concentration of nanoparticles revealed significant enhancement in heat flux and deterioration in pool boiling. The heat transfer coefficient of 0.5 g/l alumina‐water nanofluid was compared with pure water and clearly indicates deterioration. At all pressures the heat transfer coefficients of the nanofluid were lower than those of pure water. Experimental observation revealed particles coating over the heater surface and subsequent SEM inspection of the heater surface showed nanoparticles coating on the surface forming a porous layer. To substantiate the nanoparticle deposition and its effect on heat flux, investigation was done by measuring the surface roughness of the heater surface before and after the experiment. While SEM images of the heater surface revealed nanoparticle deposition, surface roughness of the heater surface confirmed it. Based on the experimental investigations it can be concluded that an optimum thickness of nanoparticles coating favors an increase in heat flux. Higher surface temperature due to the presence of nanoparticles coating results in the deterioration of boiling heat transfer. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res; Published online in Wiley Online Library ( wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/htj ). DOI 10.1002/htj.20365     

Flow boiling heat transfer in the evaporator of a loop thermosyphon operating with CuO based aqueous nanofluid

An experimental study was carried out to understand the flow boiling heat transfer of water based CuO nanofluids in the evaporator of a thermosyphon loop under steady sub-atmospheric pressures. Experimental results show that both the heat transfer coefficient (HTC) and the critical heat flux (CHF) of flow boiling in the evaporator of the thermosyphon loop could be enhanced by substituting nanofluids for water. The operating pressure has apparent impact on the HTC enhancement of nanofluids. However, the operating pressure has negligible effect on the CHF enhancement. There exists an optimal mass concentration of nanoparticles corresponding to the best enhancement effect. Experimental results show that the CHF enhancement results mainly from the existing of the coating layer on the heated surface formed by the sediment of nanoparticles. However, the HTC enhancement results from the effects of both the existing of the coating layer and the change of thermophysical properties of the working fluid.     

An Experimental Investigation of Nucleate Pool Boiling Heat Transfer of Nanofluids From a Hemispherical Surface

An experimental investigation of nucleate pool boiling heat transfer is carried out using SiO₂ nanofluid in atmospheric pressure and saturated conditions. The results show that the nucleate boiling heat transfer coefficient (HTC) of the nanofluids is lower than that of deionized water, especially in high heat fluxes. In addition, the experimental results indicate that the critical heat flux (CHF) improves up to 45% with the increase of the nanoparticle volume concentration. Atomic force microscopy images from the boiling surface reveal that the nanoparticles are deposited on the heating surface during the nanofluid pool boiling experiments. It is found that the boiling HTC deteriorates as a result of the reduction in active nucleation sites and the formation of extra thermal resistance due to blocked vapor in the porous structures near the heating surface. Furthermore, the improvement of the surface wettability causes an increase in CHF. Based on the experimental investigations, it can be concluded that the changes in the properties of the boiling surface are mainly responsible for the variations in nanofluids boiling performance.     

Pool boiling characteristics of nanofluid on flat plate based on heater surface analysis

Nucleate pool boiling of Al₂O₃ based aqueous nanofluid on flat plate heater has been studied experimentally. For boiling of nanofluid (< 0.1 vol.%) on heating surface with ratio of average surface roughness to average diameter of particles much less than unity when boiling continue to CHF, the heat transfer coefficient of nanofluid boiling reduces while critical heat flux (CHF) increases. CHF enhancement increased with volume fraction of nanoparticles. Atomic force microscope (AFM) images from boiling surface showed that after boiling of nanofluid the surface roughness increases or decreases depending on initial condition of heater surface. Changes in boiling surface topology during different regions of boiling, wettability and thermal resistance of heater surface owing to nanoparticles deposition cause to variations in nanofluids boiling performance.     

Boiling surface enhancement by electrophoretic deposition of particles from a nanofluid

We explore the electrophoretic deposition of nanoparticles from a high particle volume fraction nanofluid as a convenient surface modification technique for enhanced boiling performance. Using a ZnO–propylene glycol based nanofluid, we demonstrate 200% improvement in the boiling heat transfer coefficient for deionized water boiled on a coated stainless steel surface under atmospheric pressure. Analysis using the Mikic–Rohsenow correlation, SEM imaging, and contact angle measurements of the surface suggests that the measured enhancement is due to an increase in the active nucleation site density.     

Effect of nanoparticles on CHF enhancement in pool boiling of nano-fluids

To investigate the characteristics of CHF (Critical Heat Flux) enhancement using nano-fluids, pool boiling CHF experiments of two water-based nano-fluids with titania and alumina nanoparticles were performed using electrically heated metal wires under atmospheric pressure. The results showed that the water-based nano-fluids significantly enhanced CHF compared to that of pure water. SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) observation subsequent to the pool boiling experiments revealed that a lot of nanoparticles were deposited on heating surface during pool boiling of nano-fluids. In order to investigate the role of the nanoparticle surface coating on CHF enhancement of nano-fluids, pool boiling CHF of pure water was measured using a nanoparticle-coated heater prepared by pool boiling of nano-fluids on a bare heater. It was found that pool boiling of pure water on the naonoparticle-coated heater sufficiently achieved the CHF enhancement of nano-fluids. It is supposed that CHF enhancement in pool boiling of nano-fluids is mainly caused by the nanoparticle coating of the heating surface.     

Bubble Dynamics and Heat Transfer During Pool Boiling on Wettability Patterned Surfaces

Surfaces with spatial wettability patterns have been proven to enhance heat transfer coefficient and critical heat flux in pool boiling. To understand the physical mechanism behind this phenomenon and obtain the correlation among some critical parameters (bubble departure frequency, bubble size, nucleation site density, surface tension), pool boiling experiments were conducted. A Pyrex glass with a layer of indium-tin-oxide was used as the substrate. Hydrophobic patterns will serve as nucleation sites. Experiments were conducted in deionized water under atmospheric pressure at a relatively low heat flux. The processes of nucleation, growth, and departure of individual bubbles were visualized by using a high speed camera through the bottom of the heater surface. It has been found that the patterned surface performed the best in heat transfer for subcooled pool boiling when compared with hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces. The nucleation site density of the biphilic surface was much higher, when compared with that of the homogeneous surface. The individual bubbles always nucleate on the edge of the hydrophobic and hydrophilic area, and then move onto the hydrophobic pattern. Most of the individual bubbles detach from the wettability patterned surface in the diameter range from 300 µm to 450 µm (around 77.3%). The bubble departure periods scatter in the range from 80 ms to 1500 ms.     

An experimental investigation of bubble nucleation of a refrigerant in pressurized boiling flows

An experimental investigation is performed to determine the effect of system pressure and heat flux on flow boiling and associated bubble characteristics of a refrigerant in a narrow vertical duct. A high-pressure flow boiling test loop was built and TLC (thermo-chromic liquid crystal) was applied to the back of the heater foil for high resolution and accurate measurement of heater surface temperature. Refrigerant R-134a is used as the test fluid at different pressures ranging from 690 to 827 kPa and different heat fluxes to quantify their influence in bubble characteristics such as bubble nucleation, growth, departure, and coalescence. Two synchronized high resolution and high-speed cameras are used to simultaneously capture TLC images as well as bubbling activities at high frame rates. By varying flow rate and system pressure, TLC and bubble images were captured and analyzed. Results show that the bubble generation frequency and size increase with heat flux. An increase in pressure from 690 to 827 kPa increased the bubble frequency and size by about 32 Hz and 20 μm, respectively. Bubble coalescence was also observed after departure from the nucleation site.     

Experimental investigation on pool boiling heat transfer of ZnO,and CuO water-based nanofluids and effect of surfactant on heat transfer coefficient

Comparison of boiling performance of nanofluids and mixtures of nanofluids with surfactant is an objective of this research. Experimental investigation has been performed with different heat flux and concentrations of nanoparticles and surfactant. CuO and ZnO water-based nanofluids are used and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) is used as surfactant. The size of nanoparticles is measured from Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy pictures. Roughness of rod heater is calculated by using Atomic Force Microscopy picture. The pure water is tested after each run with nanofluid and mixture of nanofluid with SDS and the results are presented. Result from experiments demonstrates that the addition of SDS to nanofluids solution resulted in improving boiling performance. Experimental results also show an inefficient process by excluding surfactant. An optimum value for heat transfer coefficient is found by increasing of surfactant concentration within CuO nanofluid (0.01wt%CuO). Pictures of coated and clean surface in boiling pure water are employed for understanding the dynamics of bubbles. Gorenflo constant (h₀) is utilized to show the effect of addition of nanoparticles and SDS in boiling performance of base fluid.     

Investigations on heat transfer enhancement in pool boiling with water-CuO nano-fluids

The main focus of the present work is to investigate Critical Heat Flux (CHF) enhancement using CuO nanofluid relative to CHF of pure water. To estimate the effect of nanoparticles on the CHF, pool boiling CHF values were measured for various volume concentrations of CuO nanofluid and compared with pure water. CHF enhancement of 130% was recorded at 0.2 % by volume of CuO nano-fluids. Surface roughness of the heater surface exposed to three measured heating cycles indicated surface modifications at different volume concentrations of nanofluid. SEM image of the heater surface revealed porous layer build up, which is thought to be the reason for CHF enhancement.     

Surface effects of ribbon heaters on critical heat flux in nanofluid pool boiling

This paper deals with a study of enhanced critical heat flux (CHF) and burnout heat flux (BHF) in pool boiling of water with suspended silica nanoparticles using Nichrome wires and ribbons. Previously the current authors and other researchers have reported three-digit percentage increase in critical heat flux in silica nanofluids. This study investigates the effect of various heater surface dimensions, cross-sectional shapes as well as surface modifications on pool boiling heat transfer characteristics of water and water-based nanofluids. Our data suggest that the CHF and BHF decrease as heater surface area increases. For concentrations from 0.1 vol% to 2 vol%, the deposition of the particles on the wire allows high heat transfer through inter-agglomerate pores, resulting in a nearly 3-fold increase in burnout heat flux at very low concentrations. The nanoparticle deposition plays a major role through variation in porosity. The CHF enhancement is non-monotonic with respect to concentration. As the concentration is increased, the CHF and BHF decrease prior to increasing again at higher concentrations. Results show a maximum of 270% CHF enhancement for ribbon-type heaters. The surface morphology of the heater was investigated using SEM and EDS analyses, and it was inferred that the 2 vol% concentration deposition coating had higher porosity and rate of deposition compared with 0.2 vol% case.     

Numerical prediction of critical heat flux in pool boiling with the two-fluid model

Three-dimensional numerical simulations of the atmospheric saturated pool boiling are performed with the aim of predicting the critical heat flux. The two-phase mixture in pool boiling is described with the transient two-fluid model. The transient heat conduction in the horizontal heated wall is also solved. Dynamics of vapor generation on the heated wall is modeled through the density of nucleation sites and the bubble residence time on the wall. The heater’s surface is divided into zones, which number per unit area equals the density of nucleation sites, while the location of nucleation site within each zone is determined by a random function. The results show a replenishment of the heater’s surface with water and surface wetting for lower heat fluxes, while heater’s surface dry-out is predicted at critical heat flux values. Also, it is shown that the decrease of nucleation site density leads to the reduction of critical heat flux values. Obtained results of critical heat flux are in good agreement with available measured data. The presented approach is original regarding both the application of the two-fluid two-phase model for the prediction of boiling crisis in pool boiling and the defined boundary conditions at the heated wall surface.     

Nucleate pool boiling heat transfer of TiO2–R141b nanofluids

Nucleate pool boiling heat transfer of a refrigerant-based-nanofluid was investigated at different nanoparticle concentrations and pressures. TiO₂ nanoparticles were mixed with the refrigerant HCFC 141b at 0.01, 0.03 and 0.05 vol%. The experiment was performed using a cylindrical copper tube as a boiling surface. Pool boiling experiments of nanofluid were conducted and compared with that of the base refrigerant. The results indicate that the nucleate pool boiling heat transfer deteriorated with increasing particle concentrations, especially at high heat fluxes. At 0.05 vol%, the boiling heat transfer curves were suppressed. At high pressures of 400 and 500 kPa, the boiling heat transfer coefficient at a specific excess temperature was almost the same.     

Effect of surface condition on boiling heat transfer from silicon chip with submicron-scale roughness

Boiling heat transfer on treated silicon surfaces was studied. Experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of submicron-scale roughness on the boiling heat transfer at a subcooled condition in FC-72 at the ambient pressure. Two-type of treated silicon surfaces were prepared for boiling surfaces using anodisation with HF (hydrofluoric acid) based electrolyte and DMF (dimethylforamide) based one. The back side of the treated surface was glued to the back side of the other silicon chip on which thin film heaters and thin film temperature sensors were fabricated using conventional MUPs processes with doped polysilicon. The treated chips with submicron-scale roughness which provide many possible nucleation sites showed considerable enhancement in the nucleate boiling heat transfer coefficients compared to the untreated silicon surface. Further, the critical heat flux (CHF) of the treated surfaces increase linearly to the increase in the effective area for boiling.     

Convective boiling and particulate fouling of stabilized CuO-ethylene glycol nanofluids inside the annular heat exchanger

Thermal performance of convective flow boiling heat transfer and particulate fouling of CuO/EG nanofluids has been experimentally studied inside the annular heat exchanger. CuO nanoparticles were well-dispersed and stabilized using a new combinational method (adding surfactant, stirring, pH control and sonication) in ethylene glycol (EG) as the base fluid in different weight fractions of nanoparticles (0.1–0.4%). Despite stabilizing the nanofluids, a considerable boiling heat transfer reduction due to the fouling resistance has been reported. Subsequently, scale formation and particulate fouling of nanofluids in term of fouling resistance has experimentally been investigated. Influences of operating parameters on the fouling resistance and heat transfer coefficient are investigated and briefly discussed.     

Pool boiling heat transfer of functionalized nanofluid under sub-atmospheric pressures

A water-based functionalized nanofluid was made by surface functionalizing the ordinary silica nanoparticles. The functionalized nanoparticles were water-soluble and could still keep dispersing well even at the mass concentration of 10% and no sedimentation was observed. An experimental study was carried out to investigate the pool boiling heat transfer characteristics of functionalized nanofluid at atmospheric and sub-atmospheric pressures. The same work was also performed for DI water and traditional nanofluid consisted of water and ordinary silica nanoparticles for the comparison. Experimental results show that there exist great differences between pool boiling heat transfer characteristics of functionalized and traditional nanofluid. The differences mainly result from the changes of surface characteristics of the heated surface during the boiling. A porous deposition layer exists on the heated surface during the boiling of traditional nanofluid; however, no layer exists for functionalized nanofluid. Functionalized nanofluid can slightly increase the heat transfer coefficient comparing with the water case, but has nearly no effects on the critical heat flux. It is mainly due to the changes of the thermoproperties of nanofluids. Traditional nanofluid can significantly enhance the critical heat flux, but conversely deteriorates the heat transfer coefficient. It is mainly due to effect of surface characteristics of the heated surface during the boiling. Therefore, the pool boiling heat transfer of nanofluids is governed by both the thermoproperties of nanofluids and the surface characteristics of the heated surface.     

Effect of Chemical Cleaning on Steam Generator Tube Performance

Boiling experiments were performed on new, chemically cleaned, and fouled steam generator tubes to determine the heat transfer performance of each. It was found that the heat transfer performance of the fouled tube was the best, followed by the chemically cleaned tube. The performance of the new tube was the worst. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) photographs of the boiling surfaces were taken to identify differences in surface characteristics. Results revealed the presence of significant amounts of porous deposits on the surface of the fouled tube that provided ample nucleation sites for boiling. Chemical cleaning removed most of the deposits such that the boiling performance of the cleaned surface was degraded. The new tube was very smooth and there were relatively fewer nucleation sites as evidenced in the SEM photographs. Available correlations were used to predict the heat flux for a given wall superheat and were compared with the experimental data.     

High-Speed Visualization of Bubble Behaviors for Pool Boiling of R-141b

A visualization study on the behavior of bubbles has been carried out for pool boiling of R141b on a horizontal transparent heater at pressure 0.1 MPa. The behaviors of bubbles were recorded by a high-speed camera placed beneath the heater surface. The departure diameter, departure time of bubbles and nucleation site density at different heat flux were obtained. The visualization results show that bubble departure diameter and departure time decrease , while the nucleation site density increases as the heat flux increases. It is also observed that there is no liquid recruited into the microlayer in the experiment. Based on the experimental results, boiling curve for R141b was predicted by using the dynamic microlayer model. As a result, the agreement between the predictive result based on the dynamic microlayer model and the experiment data for boiling curve of R141b is good at high heat flux.     

Generic features and puzzles of nucleate boiling

At high reduced pressures extremely high nucleate boiling heat transfer coefficients (HTC) were measured. A single mechanism, which presents a consistent explanation of such HTCs, is very high intensity of liquid evaporation at the periphery of dry spots (nucleation sites) at the heated wall. Due to very small size the nucleation sites can be considered as point heat sinks. Between them convective heat transfer occurs, which in its turn is governed by the inherent mechanisms of boiling. The above two mechanisms comprise a total heat flux from the heated wall in nucleate boiling. The predicting equation, which determines heat flux in boiling via the wall superheat and liquid properties, has been developed with accuracy to two universal numerical factors fitted to the experimental data. Although the equation developed is found to be in good agreement with numerous experimental data for different liquids and in the wide range of reduced pressures and heat fluxes there exists a problem in nucleate boiling, which has not been understood to the full even qualitatively. This problem is the dependence of nucleation site density on the physical properties of the liquid and on the controlling parameters. Some new experimental results by Theofanous et al. [T.G. Theofanous, T.N. Dinh, J.P. Tu, A.T. Dinh, The boiling crisis phenomenon. Part I: Nucleation and nucleate boiling heat transfer, Exp. Therm. Fluid Sci. 26 (2002) 775–792; T.G. Theofanous, T.N. Dinh, J.P. Tu, A.T. Dinh, The boiling crisis phenomenon. Part II: Dryout dynamics and burnout, Exp. Therm. Fluid Sci. 26 (2002) 793–810.] and Qi et al. [Y. Qi, J.F. Klausner, R. Mei, Role of surface structure in heterogeneous nucleation, Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer 47 (2004) 3097–3107; Y. Qi, J.F. Klausner, Heterogeneous nucleation with artificial cavities, J. Heat Transfer 127 (2005) 1189–1196; Y. Qi, J.F. Klausner, Comparison of nucleation site density for pool boiling and gas nucleation, J. Heat Transfer 128 (2006) 13–20.] require revising the traditional views on a nature of the active nucleation sites in boiling. These results remind the old question: why can the nucleation sites arise at low superheats of the absolutely wettable surface? Obtaining theoretical equation for nucleation site density remains the most significant challenge in nucleate boiling theory.     

Visualization of pool boiling heat transfer of magnetic nanofluid

To increase heat transfer, ferrofluids have been utilized to study the effective parameters of pool boiling. Changes and possible enhancement of pool boiling heat transfer of magnetic fluids is a function of magnetic field and concentration of nanoparticles. To the best knowledge of the authors, no systematic experiments have been conducted to visualize the phenomena during the boiling of ferrofluids with different concentrations. In this study an experimental investigation has been conducted, by designing and fabricating a novel hele‐shaw vessel with glass sides, to explore via visualizations some details in the pool boiling of ferrofluids. Boiling patterns of ferrofluids at various concentrations have been visualized –both in the presence of a constant magnetic field and without any magnetic field. Pure water tests were performed as a baseline, and the experimental program has been conducted at four different concentrations, namely 30, 40, 50, and 500 ppm. The primary focus of the visualization is to study how different concentration of ferrofluid affects the boiling ebullition cycle through a high‐speed camera. The results showed that in the boiling process of ferrofluids with a low concentration (10 to 50 ppm), the rising bubbles lead to enlarge the active nucleation sites and create cavities. The formation of cavities changes the solid layer of the surface to a porous medium and enhances the wettability of the surface and boiling heat transfer coefficient. In the ferrofluid boiling with high concentration (500 ppm), bubbles rising is hindered by nanoparticles.