NUCLEATION SITE INTERACTION AND ITS EFFECTS ON NUCLEATE BOILING HEAT TRANSFER

Nucleation site interaction during boiling process was investigated to demonstrate its effects on active site density and associated boiling heat transfer. Considering that nucleation site interaction is induced by non-uniform temperature distribution depending mainly on boiling wall properties and thickness, boiling experiments on the surface of different material plate walls with different thickness were conducted to reveal the nucleation site interaction. Plate material and thickness were found to have significant influence on the nucleate boiling heat transfer caused by the thermal interaction in the plate. This is quite distinct from the effect of single bubble-waiting period and growing period commonly expected.