Boiling of small droplets

Analysis is reported of the boiling of small diameter suspended droplets, such as found in emulsions. A one-dimensional model considers both the energy and momentum equations, and effects of differences in fluid and thermodynamic properties between the droplet and the surrounding liquid are examined. Results are presented in the form of time varying bubble radius and temperature. The initial boiling of the droplet is insensitive to the surrounding liquid and droplet diameter, while the final evaporation rate is strongly affected by the properties of the surrounding liquid. After a droplet has completely evaporated, the vapor bubble expands and contracts via radial oscillations near the Minnaert frequency for isothermal bubbles. Thermal damping is observed but the model does not capture acoustic damping.