Model of critical heat flux in subcooled flow boiling

摘要

The physical phenomenon occurring before and at the critical heat flux (CHF) for subcooled flow boiling has been investigated. The first phase of this study established the basic nature of the flow structure at CHF. A photographic study of the flow in a glass annular test section was accomplished by using microflash lighting and a Polaroid camera. The results showed that the flow structure at CHF for high heat flux (1 x 106 - 5 x 106 Btu/hr-ft2), high subcooling (50-110 *F), at low pressures (less than 100 psia) was slug or froth flow depending on the mass velocity. Nucleation was shown to exist in the superheated liquid film. Pin-holes in the burned-out test sections suggested that the CHF condition was extremely localized. Flow regime studies in tubular and annular geometries, using an electrical resistance probe, provided further evidence of the slug or froth nature of the flow, and also showed that dryout of the superheated liquid film was not responsible for CHF. Since this evidence was contradictory to previously formulated models of CHF,a new model was proposed: Near the CHF condition, nucleation is present in the superheated liquid film near the surface. As a large vapor clot passes over the surface, these nucleating bubbles break the film and cause a stable dry spot which results in an increased local temperature. As the vapor finally passes the site, the dry spot is quenched by the liquid slug, and the temperature drops. At CHF, the volumetric heat generation, slug frequency, and void fraction are such that the temperature rise resulting from the dry spot is greater than the temperature drop during quenching. An unstable situation results where the temperature of this point continues to rise when each vapor clot passes the site until the Leidenfrost temperature is reached, at which point quenching is prevented and destruction is inevitable.