| Abstract: | Measurements were made of the thermal resistance of porous deposits of various thicknesses under both single‐phase forced convection and flow‐boiling conditions. Both synthetic deposits and deposits on tubes removed from operating steam generators were used in this investigation. The thermal resistance was modeled as the sum of two components: one associated with conduction through the porous deposit and a second associated with the effect of surface roughness. The conductive component of the thermal resistance was always positive, whereas surface roughness made a negative contribution to the thermal resistance, i.e., roughness enhanced the rate of heat transfer. Thermal conductivity of the porous deposits was higher for single‐phase forced convection, whereas the effect of deposit roughness on thermal resistance was higher under flow‐boiling conditions. The results are discussed in terms of the effect of composition, morphology, surface roughness, and the mode of heat transfer on the thermal resistance of porous deposit. |
