An area and time-averaged model for saturated pool boiling heat fluxes has been developed. In the model, which is valid in the upper end of nucleate boiling and in transition boiling, the existence of stationary vapor stems at the wall is assumed. The energy from the wall is conducted into the liquid macro/micro thermal layer surrounding the stems and is utilized in evaporation at the stationary liquid–vapor interface. The heat transfer rate into the thermal layer and the temperature distribution in it are determined by solving a two-dimensional steady-state conduction equation. The evaporation rate is given by the kinetic theory. The heater surface area over which the vapor stems exist is taken to be dry. Employing experimentally observed void fractions, not only the nucleate and transition boiling heat fluxes but also the maximum and minimum heat fluxes are predicted from the model. The maximum heat fluxes obtained from the model are valid only for surfaces that are not well wetted and includes the contact angle as one of the parameters.

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Void fraction profiles adjacent to a vertical wall 6.3 cm wide and 10.3 cm high were measured during nucleate boiling. The experiments were conducted in saturated water at 1 atm pressure. In the experiments, the wettability of the surface was varied by controlling the degree of oxidation of the surface. Static contact angle was used as an indicator of the surface wettability. The void fraction was measured with a gamma densitometer. The experimental results show that the maximum void fraction occurs about 1–1.5 mm away from the heater surface. The wall void fraction, the maximum void fraction, and the thickness of the void layer increase with wall heat flux. It is found that for a given heat flux, the wall void fraction increases as the surface becomes less wettable, whereas the maximum heat flux decreases with increase in contact angle.

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