Experimental Study of Two-Phase Flow in a Hemispherical Annular Gap With Boiling on One Side of the Channel

Abstract

The phenomenon of nature convection boiling on the outer surface of a heated hemispherical vessel surrounded by a thermal insulation structure was investigated experimentally. The objectives were to observe the behavior of the boiling-induced two-phase motion in the annular gap between the vessel and the insulation structure and to determine the flow effect on the rate of boiling. High-speed photographic records revealed the presence of violent cyclic ejection of the vapor masses generated by boiling on the vessel outer surface which resulted in a buoyancy-driven, upward, concurrent two-phase flow through the channel. When boiling was taking place at high heat flux levels, the flow was found to be three-dimensional with swirl formation. Measurements of the local boiling heat fluxes and the local wall superheats were made under steady-state boiling conditions covering the entire range of nucleate boiling with special emphasis on the high-heat-flux regime.