摘要
The characteristics of a vapor bubble within the thermal boundary layer were theoretically analyzed.The physical models accounting for the variation of ioterfacial tension and nuid density with tempera-ture were proposed to investigate bubble interfaCe aspects and the fluid flow around the bubble. The analyses demonstrated that the variation in interfacial tension results in variations in the liquid-vapor interface shape and bubble dynamics, which may play a significant role in the departure process of a vapor bubble from a heated wall surface. Increasing temperature gradients in the boundary layer and the gravitational field induce a contact line contraction and correspondingly promotes bubble depar-ture. The simulation of liquid now around the bubble shows that natural convection dominates the flow for earth conditions; however, the thermocapillary forces provide the principal catalyst for bubble departure in a microgravity environment. The results indicate that both the vapor bubble contraction and the Marangoni flow may increase the heat transfer around the vapor bubble and may cause the bubble to mov away from the heating surface, further increasing heat transfer.
