Jinfeng Wu - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Jinfeng Wu

Journal of Heat Transfer-transactions of The Asme, 2009

ABSTRACT The growth and departure of single bubbles on two surfaces with very different wettabili... more ABSTRACT The growth and departure of single bubbles on two surfaces with very different wettability is studied using high-speed video microscopy and numerical simulation. Isolated artificial cavities of approximately 10μm diameter are microfabricated on a bare and a Teflon-coated silicon substrate to serve as nucleation sites. The bubble departure diameter is observed to be almost three times larger and the growth period almost 60 times longer for the hydrophobic surface than for the hydrophilic surface. The waiting period is practically zero for the hydrophobic surface because a small residual bubble nucleus is left behind on the cavity from the previous ebullition cycle. The experimental results are consistent with our numerical simulations. Bubble nucleation occurs on nominally smooth hydrophobic regions with root mean square roughness (Rq ) less than 1 nm even at superheat as small as 3 °C. Liquid subcooling significantly affects bubble growth on the hydrophobic surface due to increased bubble surface area. Fundamental understanding of bubble dynamics on heated hydrophobic surfaces will help to develop chemically patterned surfaces with enhanced boiling heat transfer and novel phase-change based micro-actuators and energy harvesters.

Journal of Heat Transfer-transactions of The Asme, 2010

Under subcooled boiling conditions, the liquid may contain dissolved noncondensabe gases. During ... more Under subcooled boiling conditions, the liquid may contain dissolved noncondensabe gases. During phase change at the bubble-liquid interface, noncondensable gases will be injected into the bubble along with vapor. Due to heat transfer into subcooled liquid, vapor will condense in the upper regions of the bubble and the bubble interface is impermeable to noncondensables. As a result, noncondensabe gases will accumulate at the top of bubbles. This existing gradient of noncondensable concentration inside bubble determines the saturation temperature gradient around the bubble surface. The nonuniform saturation temperature may cause a difference in surface tension which would give rise to thermocapillary convection in the vicinity of the interface. So far, this description is merely a hypothesis. It is felt that much inspection is in vital demand to clarify the uncertainty as to the role of noncondensables throughout this process. In this study, air is taken as noncondensable gas, and the aim is to investigate the effects of noncondensable air on heat transfer and bubble dynamics. The results from a numerical procedure coupling level set function with moving mesh method show the evidence of effects of noncondensable air imposed on heat transfer and the induced flow pattern is presented as well.