Electromagnetic Control of High Heat-Flux Spray Impingement Boiling Under Microgravity Conditions
Abstract
The primary goal of this project was to discover how to most effectively use electromagnetic forces to enhance spray impingement boiling in microgravity (%g). This project was closely coordinated with the non-electromagnetic spray impingement boiling heat transfer experiments conducted by Dr. Kirk L. Yerkes of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The West Virginia University (WVU) investigation of electrical body forces to enhance and control spray impingement boiling extended the AFRL research. The computational phase of the WVU project was based on the commercial multiphysics code CFD-ACE+, which was successfully modified to incorporate the Coulomb and electric Kelvin forces. WVU's ground-based experiments demonstrated for the first time that modest increases in heat transfer coefficient and Nusselt number can be achieved in spray impingement boiling by using electrical forces, thus confirming the fundamental hypothesis of this research. Further increases in heat transfer performance are likely to result from a better understanding of the relevant microphysics and better electrode designs. Experimental results have been used to estimate the time scales for various phenomena that occur in spray impingement boiling, which could lead to improved electrode designs.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA469754
Entities
People
- C. A. Hunnell
- Deepak Mehra
- Donald D. Gray
- John M. Kuhlman
- Paul J. Kreitzer
- Rageey M. Youssef
- Shannon L. Glaspell
Organizations
- West Virginia University