Saturated nucleate pool boiling of oxygen under magnetically-enhanced effective gravity

ORAL

Abstract

We investigate the effect of enhancing gravity on saturated nucleate pool boiling of oxygen for effective gravities ($g_{\mathrm{eff}}$) of $1g$, $6g$, and $16g$ ($g=9.8\;\mathrm{m s^{-2}}$) at a saturation pressure of $760\;\mathrm{torr}$ and for heat fluxes of $10\sim 3000\;\mathrm{W m^{-2}}$. The effective gravity on the oxygen is increased by applying a magnetic body force generated by a superconducting solenoid. We measure the heater temperature (expressed as a reduced superheat) as a function of heat flux and fit this data to a piecewise power-law/linear boiling curve. At low heat flux ($\alt 400\;\mathrm{W m^{-2}}$) the superheat is proportional to the cube root of the heat flux. At higher heat fluxes, the superheat is a linear function of the heat flux. The value of the transition heat flux separating these two regions is proportional to $g_{\mathrm{eff}}^{0.25}$, indicating a possible link to the critical heat flux.

Authors

  • T. A. Corcovilos

    California Institute of Technology - Division of Physics, Math, and Astronomy, Pasadena, CA, USA

  • M. E. Turk

    California Institute of Technology - Division of Physics, Math, and Astronomy, Pasadena, CA, USA

  • D. M. Strayer

    California Institute of Technology - Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, USA

  • N. N. Asplund

    California Institute of Technology - Division of Physics, Math, and Astronomy, Pasadena, CA, USA

  • N.-C. Yeh

    California Institute of Technology - Division of Physics, Math, and Astronomy, Pasadena, CA, USA, Phys. Dept., Caltech, Pasadena, CA, Phys Dept Caltech Pasadena, CA