Liquid film boiling is used in many terrestrial thermal management applications as an effective heat transport mechanism. However, it suffers in micro-gravity applications such as spacecraft thermal management as the gravitational body force is not present. The heater surface dries out as a result and heater temperature increase is unbounded. One way of facilitating liquid film boiling in micro-gravity is to use an electrical field. In this experimental study, we utilize electrohydrodynamic (EHD) conduction pumping to re-wet the heater surface during liquid film boiling in micro-gravity. EHD conduction involves electrodes embedded onto a surface that generate a pumping force in the dielectric liquid film which causes it to flow in a particular direction - in this case liquid is directed toward the heater. The experiments are performed both terrestrially and on board a parabolic flight. Results indicate that activation of the EHD pump enables liquid film boiling to continue in microgravity by maintaining a liquid flow rate to the heater and lowering the surface temperature. It thereby allows us to study the complex liquid-vapor phase change phenomena in the presence of an electrical field in the absence of gravity and furthers our understanding for future application.
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