Nucleate pool boiling in the long duration low gravity environment of the Space Shuttle

Abstract

The results are presented of an experimental study of nucleate pool boiling performed in the low gravity environment of the space shuttle. Photographic observations of pool boiling in Freon 113 were obtained during the 'Tank Pressure Control Experiment,' flown on the Space Transportation System, STS-43 in August 1991. Nucleate boiling data from large (relative to bubble size) flat heating surfaces (0.1046 by 0.0742 m) was obtained at very low heat fluxes (0.22 to 1.19 kW/sq m). The system pressure and the bulk liquid subcooling varied in the range of 40 to 60 kPa and 3 to 5 C respectively. Thirty-eight boiling tests, each of 10-min duration for a given heat flux, were conducted. Measurements included the heater power, heater surface temperature, the liquid temperature and the system pressure as functions of heating time. Video data of the first 2 min of heating was recorded for each test. In some tests the video clearly shows the inception of boiling and the growth and departure of bubbles from the surface during the first 2 min of heating. In the absence of video data, the heater temperature variation during heating shows the inception of boiling and stable nucleate boiling. During the stable nucleate boiling, the wall superheat varied between 2.8 to 3.8 C for heat fluxes in the range of 0.95 to 1.19 kW/sq m. The wall superheat at the inception of boiling varied between 2 to 13 C