Effect of gravity on cryogenic boiling heat transfer during tube quenching

Cryogenic forced convective boiling under terrestrial and microgravity conditions for the development of cryogenic fluid management on orbit is studied. The experiments are conducted in a low mass velocity region (100–300 kg/m2 s) that is easily influenced by gravity, and fluid behavior observations and heat transfer measurements are performed simultaneously. These experiments aim at understanding the effect of gravitational acceleration on the relation between the flow behavior and thermal characteristics during the quenching of the tube by a cryogenic fluid. The heat transfer increases under microgravity conditions, and results from an increase in the quench front velocity.