Predictive study of the incipient point of net vapor generation in low-flow subcooled boiling

A predictive model of the initial point of net vapor generation, incipient point of net vapor generation (IPNVG) for low-flow subcooled boiling is developed in this paper. The IPNVG established in this model meets both the thermodynamic and hydrodynamic conditions. The thermodynamic condition is described by the heat balance at IPNVG. The amount of heat for steam generation is equal to that for bubble condensation at IPNVG. The force balance of the detached bubbles at IPNVG or the hydrodynamic condition is established to provide the diameter of the detached bubbles and the interfacial heat transfer coefficient for the calculation of heat transfer at IPNVG. This mechanism of the present model makes it applicable to low-flow subcooled boiling. Several coefficients involved in the proposed model are identified by Freon-12 experimental data. This model is compared with the experimental data obtained from different works. The data cover two working media of steam-water and Freon-12, two flow conditions of natural and forced circulations and relatively wide ranges of pressure, mass flux and heat flux. The predictions of this model agree with the data quite well. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.