Bubble Dynamics During Boiling in Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) Microchannels With Wire Heater

Boiling is an important phase-change mode with efficient heat transfer and complex bubble dynamics. A microchannel fabricated using Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), which is a porous polymer, performed different boiling behavior and heat transfer compared to traditional glass or silica microchannels. A very fine platinum wire embedded in the PDMS microchannel served as a heater. Bubble dynamics was visualized and recorded through a high speed CCD camera equipped in a microscope. Boiling curves were concluded, and different boiling regimes were classified. The featured phenomena of droplets cycle in big bubbles were observed and analyzed.