Boiling Regimes in a Closed Two-Phase Thermosyphon

Experimental results and an analytical model on the boiling mechanisms in a closed two-phase thermosyphon are presented in order to define the frontiers between the main boiling regimes and, in particular, the frontier between intermittent boiling and fully-developed boiling. The boiling regimes are classified on the basis of the frequency of bubble nucleation and the ratio of bubble diameter to device diameter. A criterion for the intermittent/developed-boiling frontier is based on the ratio of the bubble-nucleation waiting time and the bubble growth time. From this criterion a correlation between power throughput, working-fluid pressure and nucleation critical superheat are obtained. Experimental data on operating conditions, temperatures, and nucleation frequencies show the same functional dependence as the proposed correlation.