Abstract
A boiling explosion occurs when a liquid impinges on a surface whose temperature is kept at higher than Leidenfrost temperature. This phenomenon is theoretically analyzed by applying a new model proposed by Monde et al.. In this model, a characteristic liquid cluster at the boundary is considered and the condition of homogeneous nucleation generation is characterized at a moment when the average temperature in the liquid cluster reaches the condition of ∂Tavg/∂t = 0, that is energy consumption due to bubble nucleation and subsequent growth balances transient external energy deposition, at which bubble generation and growth in the cluster cause the liquid sensible energy to decrease. The occurrence of the homogeneous nucleation generation has been studied by applying the present model for various conditions of steel quenching with impinging water jet at atmospheric pressure. The model shows that homogeneous nucleation generation does not occur at surface temperatures below 335 °C during quenching steel surface with water (20 °C). The results obtained in the present study might be helpful in better understanding the establishment of steady solid-liquid contact as well as the cooling phenomena that occur in the early stages of jet impingement quenching.
