Interfacial energies of aqueous mixtures and porous coverings for enhancing pool boiling heat transfer

The interfacial energies effects on pool boiling were measured for combinations of aqueous ethanol mixtures and cationic surfactants. The mixture with 16% ethanol by weight had the lowest contact angle (associated to the highest wettability) and produced the highest convective heat transfer coefficient, h, among the aqueous ethanol mixtures. The surfactant sodium–lauryl–sulfate added at 100 ppm (its calculated critical micelle concentration CMC) to the 16% ethanol aqueous mixture produced an additional increment of the wettability of the mixture and of the h values; other concentrations of the surfactant reduced de contact angle and h values. The effect of these interfacial energies represents a mass-transfer contribution to pool boiling and the proposal of mixture effects both as increased spreadibility and as micelle states. Several randomly constructed porous coverings, contributing to the breakage of vapor slugs around the heater, were tested; produced the highest h values for average pore diameters of 0.5 mm, and covering thickness of 0.972 mm. The synergistic effect on h of the interfacial energies of mixtures at their critical micelle concentration, and porous coverings was measured. Therefore, the independent driving forces combined in this study for increasing pool boiling heat transfer are (a) spreadibility of the liquid on the solid; (b) the bubble's size reduction, achieved by micelle states; and (c) the bubble's breakage, induced by the porous coverings, for vapor flow not under pressure drop control.