Integrated Particle Imaging Velocimetry and Infrared Thermometry for High Resolution Measurement of Subcooled Nucleate Pool Boiling

Abstract

High-resolution data of nucleate pool boiling are important for the development of mechanistic numerical models based on computation fluid dynamics (CFD). This paper describes an innovative experimental facility that allows time- and space- resolved measurement of a series of important boiling-relevant quantities, including velocity and temperature distributions around individual bubbles, bubble shape, departure diameter and frequency, all of which can be used for validation of CFD-based models of boiling heat transfer. The facility comprises a temperature controlled boiling cell, with an indium tin oxide (ITO) heater and integrated high-frequency Particle Imaging Velocimetry (PIV) and Infrared Thermometry (IR). Some representative results are reported.