On the width and mean value of bubble size distributions under subcooled flow boiling

Abstract

In this work, a new comprehensive dataset about bubble sizes in flow boiling of water is presented. The experimental setup basically consists of a lower copper heated plate embedded in a horizontal rectangular channel flow. Several experimental conditions, ranging bulk velocities: 0.1–0.9 [m·s−1]; mass fluxes: 96.9–871.8 [kg·m−2·s−1]; subcooling degrees: 16–36 [°C]; heat fluxes: 200–650 [kW·m−2] and pressures: 110–190 [kPa] were set for three cooper plates of different roughness, with Sa: 0.45, 1.23 and 7.43 [µm], respectively. Based on the current samples, the probability function for the normalized bubble diameter has been described by a lognormal pdf for any plate and experimental condition and a dimensionless correlation for the standard deviation of the bubble size distribution is presented. In order to completely describe the diameter distribution for bubbles in subcooled boiling systems, an improved correlation for the mean bubble diameter value is also presented here, after a deep review of previously published datasets. Further work is required to accommodate different channel configurations and surface morphologies.