Gravity Scaling of Pool Boiling Heat Transfer

Abstract

Recent developments in our understanding of gravity effects on pool boiling heat transfer are discussed. An experimental apparatus using a fast response microheater array was used to obtain data throughout the continuously varying gravity levels during the transition from hypergravity (1.8 G) to low-G (~0.01 G) using low-G aircraft. A similar heater was used to obtain boiling data in the very quiet microgravity environment of the International Space Station as part of the Microheater Array Boiling Experiment. This data has allowed the development of a unified model to predict the boiling heat transfer at any gravity level if the heat transfer at a reference gravity level (e.g., earth gravity) is known. The model is first discussed and validated against experimental data from the International Space Station, then used to explain previous low-G data from other groups.