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Vapor Bubble Nucleation: A Microscopic Phenomenon

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Abstract

In this article, vapor bubble nucleation in liquid and the evaporation process of a liquid droplet at its superheat limit were discussed from the viewpoint of molecular clustering (molecular cluster model for bubble nucleation). For the vapor bubble formation, the energy barrier against bubble nucleation was estimated by the molecular interaction due to the London dispersion force. Bubble nucleation by quantum tunneling in liquid helium under negative pressure near the absolute zero temperature and bubble nucleation on cavity free micro heaters were also presented as the homogenous nucleation processes.

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Abbreviations

A s :

Surface area of heater

d m :

Average distance between molecules

D n :

Rate of molecules striking on the surface of n-mer cluster

d w :

Van der Waals’ diameter of liquid molecules

E I :

Ionization potential

F n :

Free energy needed to form n-mer cluster

F r :

Free energy needed to form a bubble with radius of r

ħ:

Plank constant

j :

Nucleation probability, Eq. (19)

J :

Nucleation rate of bubble per unit volume

J n :

Nucleation rate of n-mer cluster per unit volume

J s :

Nucleation rate per unit area

k B :

Boltzman constant

m :

Mass of molecule

M :

Molecular weight

m :

Nmber of molecules in a cluster

N :

Nmber density ( = ρm/m)

P e :

Pressure inside a bubble

P υ :

Vapor pressure

P∞ :

Ambient pressure

γ:

Radius of bubble

R:

Gas constant

R d :

Radius of evaporated sphere in the droplet

T :

Temperature of liquid

T c :

Critical temperature

T f :

Melting temperature of liquid

t l :

Time lag of nucleation events

T s :

Superheat limit of liquid

V :

Volume of a droplet

υ:

Molar volume of liquid

V m :

Effective molecular volume of liquid

Z :

Coordination number

Z f :

Zeldovich nonequilibrium factor

α:

Polarizability of a liquid molecule

β:

Accommodation coefficient

ΔHυap :

Enthalpy of evaporation

Δf :

Enthalpy of fusion

ε0 :

Potential parameter of the London dispersion attraction

εm :

Energy needed to separate a pair of molecules

ευib :

Vibrational energy

μ:

Chemical potential

ρm :

Density of liquid

ρc :

Critical density of liquid

σ:

Interfacial tension

τ:

Tensile strength of liquid

ω:

Tunneling frequency

C :

Critical cluster or critical size bubble

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  1. Mechanical Engineering Department, Chung-Ang University, 156-756, Seoul, Korea

    Ho-Young Kwak

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Kwak, HY. Vapor Bubble Nucleation: A Microscopic Phenomenon. KSME International Journal 18, 1271–1287 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02984241

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