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Nanostructure-Supported Evaporation Underneath a Growing Bubble.
Shakerur Ridwan1, Matthew McCarthy1
1Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics , Drexel University , 3141 Chestnut Street , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania 19104 , United States.
Nanostructured coatings significantly boost boiling efficiency by over 30% by enhancing heat transfer. This study reveals how these coatings improve heat transfer coefficients during the bubble ebullition cycle.
Area of Science:
- Heat Transfer
- Nanotechnology
- Fluid Dynamics
Background:
- High porosity nanostructured coatings enhance liquid-to-vapor phase change by wicking liquids laterally during boiling.
- While critical heat flux is understood, the impact on heat transfer coefficient (boiling efficiency) is less clear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally measure heat transfer beneath bubbles on nanostructured surfaces during the transient ebullition cycle.
- To characterize surface superheat, heat flux, and heat transfer coefficient using IR thermography.
- To elucidate the role of nanostructured coatings and thin-film evaporation in nucleate boiling.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a novel experimental apparatus for heat transfer measurements.
- Employed IR thermography to visualize and quantify thermal properties during bubble ebullition.
- Independently tuned surface heat flux and bubble departure time to study transient effects.
Main Results:
- Nanostructured coatings provide uniform temperature profiles, unlike flat surfaces with large variations.
- Enhanced heat transfer observed due to evaporation from nanostructure-supported liquid films.
- Demonstrated the importance of advancing/receding contact lines and quenching on thermal performance.
Conclusions:
- Nanostructured coatings increase the average heat transfer coefficient by over 30%.
- This work highlights the role of thin-film evaporation and contact line dynamics in nanostructured boiling.
- Provides a framework for understanding nanostructured boiling across the entire boiling curve.

