A spontaneous nucleation model is proposed for the mechanisms which lead to explosive boiling in the free contacting mode. The model considers that spontaneous nucleation cannot occur until the thermal boundary layer is sufficiently thick to support a critical size vapor cavity, and that significant bubble growth requires an established pressure gradient in the cold liquid. This results in a prediction that, for an interface temperature above the spontaneous nucleation limit, large cold liquid droplets will remain in film boiling due to coalescence of vapor nuclei, whereas smaller droplets will be captured by the hot liquid surface and rapidly vaporize, which agrees with the experimental observations. The model also predicts that explosions are eliminated by an elevated system pressure or a supercritical contact interface temperature, and this is also in agreement with experimental data.
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Nucleation Processes in Large Scale Vapor Explosions
R. E. Henry,
R. E. Henry
Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Ill. 60439
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H. K. Fauske
H. K. Fauske
Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Ill. 60439
Search for other works by this author on:
R. E. Henry
Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Ill. 60439
H. K. Fauske
Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Ill. 60439
J. Heat Transfer. May 1979, 101(2): 280-287 (8 pages)
Published Online: May 1, 1979
Article history
Received:
January 26, 1978
Online:
August 11, 2010
Citation
Henry, R. E., and Fauske, H. K. (May 1, 1979). "Nucleation Processes in Large Scale Vapor Explosions." ASME. J. Heat Transfer. May 1979; 101(2): 280–287. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.3450961
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