Many studies have shown that a very thin liquid microlayer forms under vapor bubbles during nucleate boiling. The heat transfer from the surface to the bubble is then significantly affected by this microlayer and the curved region leading into the microlayer. Various models have been developed to predict the microlayer shape and the heat transfer along the curved interfacial region, but they tend to have inconsistent boundary conditions or unrealistic results. This paper presents a theoretical model to predict the microlayer thickness and the heat transfer rates for a variety of conditions. The results show how the wall superheat, the Hamaker constant, the bubble radius, and the accommodation coefficient at the interface affect the evaporation heat transfer rates and the microlayer shape for a large range of conditions for water and FC 72. The microlayer results are then shown to compare well with predictions made by solving the Navier-Stokes equations in the microlayer.

Nucleate boiling is a very efficient method for generating high heat transfer rates from solid surfaces; however, the fundamental physical mechanisms governing nucleate boiling heat transfer are not well understood. The heat transfer mechanisms around stationary and moving bubbles on very thin microwires were analyzed numerically to evaluate the effect of the bubble motion on the heat transfer from the wire surface. The numerical analysis accurately models the experimentally observed bubble movement and fluid velocities. The analytical model includes the effects of the Marangoni flow around the bubble and the evaporation and condensation within the bubble. The analysis shows that the heat transfer was significantly enhanced by the Marangoni flow around the outside of the bubble which transfers at least twice as much energy from the wire as the heat transfer directly from the wire to the bubble. The enhanced heat transfer due to the Marangoni flow was evident for both stationary and moving bubbles. The moving bubbles also created a wake that further enhanced the heat transfer from the wire. Since the Marangoni number for water is greater than for ethanol for the same conditions, the Marangoni flow and, hence, the bubble velocities are predicted to be greater in water than in ethanol.