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Updated: May 26, 2026
07:32
Pool-Boiling Heat-Transfer Enhancement on Cylindrical Surfaces with Hybrid Wettable Patterns
Published on: April 10, 2017
Influence of the wettability on the boiling onset
B Bourdon1, R Rioboo, M Marengo
1Laboratoire de Physique des Surfaces et des Interfaces, Université de Mons, Parc Initialis, Av. Copernic, 1, B-7000 Mons, Belgium.
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|December 15, 2011
Summary
Surface wettability and topography significantly influence pool boiling. Even nanoscale roughness affects boiling, and wettability alone can initiate boiling, with position controllable via chemical grafting.
Area of Science:
- Heat Transfer
- Surface Science
- Fluid Dynamics
Background:
- Pool boiling is a critical heat transfer mechanism.
- Surface properties like wettability and topography influence boiling performance.
- Understanding these influences is key to optimizing heat exchangers and electronic cooling.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally investigate the role of surface wettability and topography in pool boiling.
- To determine if nanoscale surface features impact boiling behavior.
- To explore the control of boiling initiation and location using surface modifications.
Main Methods:
- Experimental pool boiling conducted under stationary conditions.
- Utilized smooth bronze surfaces coated with a thin gold layer.
- Applied various surface treatments, including chemical grafting (alkanethiol), to modify wettability.
- Recorded boiling curves (heat flux vs. surface superheat).
Main Results:
- Surface topography plays a significant role, even with mean roughness below 10 nm.
- Surface wettability alone can initiate the boiling process.
- Boiling location on the surface can be precisely controlled through chemical grafting.
- Wettability significantly reduces the superheat required for incipient boiling.
Conclusions:
- Both surface topography and wettability are crucial factors in pool boiling.
- Nanoscale surface engineering offers a method to control boiling phenomena.
- Enhanced wettability leads to more efficient boiling initiation, reducing energy requirements.
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