Growth of Micro Bubbles on Micro-Configured Metal-Graphite Composite Surfaces and Boiling Enhancement

A series of studies in nucleate boiling phenomena on metal-graphite composite surfaces has been investigated by Prof. Wen-Jei Yang and their associates. It has been discovered that the unique micro-configured construction of the composite surfaces plays a crucial role in the enhancement of boiling heat transfer. The present paper focuses on the formation and growth processes of micro bubbles and the micro/nano scale boiling behavior to reveal the mechanism of boiling heat transfer enhancement on the unique surfaces. The growth processes of the micro and macro bubbles are analyzed and formulated followed by an analysis of bubble departure. Based on these analyses, the enhancement mechanism of the pool boiling heat transfer on the composite surfaces is clearly revealed. The micro-configured composite surfaces provide more even distribution of a great number of stable boiling active sites through the graphite fibers. Consequently, the heat conduction through the layers is increased, which provides the power of phase change at the interfaces on bubble bottoms. Experimental results convincingly demonstrate the enhancement effects of the unique structure of metal-graphite composite surfaces on boiling heat transfer.