The effect of Helmholtz instability on the macrolayer thickness in vapor mushroom region of nucleate pool boiling

In the previously postulated relationship between the macrolayer thickness in saturated pool boiling and the Helmholtz instability wavelength is further investigated in the ligth of experimental data that recently appeared in the open literature. The study shows that the Helmholtz wavelength in the vapor stems is strongly dependent on parameters affected by surface chemistry. These parameters same order of magnitude as the ones reported in the literature, the Helmholtz instability model was able to successfully predict the macrolayer thickness data. This result suggests that the Helmholtz instability model must not be ruled out, unless further experimental research proves otherwise.