Transitional Boiling Characteristics of an Individual Liquid Droplet on the Heated Solid Surface

An experimental investigation was conducted to visually observe the transitional boiling in an individual water droplet on heated solid surfaces, with temperature ranging from 120°C to 160°C. Using a high-speed video imaging system, the dynamical process of the evaporation and boiling behavior of a droplet was recorded. Infrared ray temperature measurement technique was employed to investigate the instantaneous characteristics of heat transfer as the droplet was boiled. In the transition boiling regime, the phase change behavior of a droplet displayed a cyclical process. Restricted cyclical, sole-bubble cyclical and metastable cyclical styles were observed as the surface temperature increased.