EPSRC logo

Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/S41821/01
Title: A fundamental investigation of the mechanism of the Critical Heat Flux including the effect of an electric field
Principal Investigator: Sefiane, Professor K
Other Investigators:
Kenning, Professor DBR
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Sch of Engineering
Organisation: University of Edinburgh
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 16 February 2004 Ends: 15 February 2007 Value (£): 125,009
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Heat & Mass Transfer
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
GR/S41814/01
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
The ability of engineers to predict and increase the magnitute of the critical heat flux (CHF) is of paramount importance in many technological applications. However, this requires correct understanding of the mechanism leading to CHF. Currently, there is considerable controversy amongst researchers on the controlling mechanism(s) and the various proposed models are not generally convincing or applicable. Past work has identified the role played by the trible line region and the contact line between solid, liquid and vapour and in modelling the CHIP mechanism, the applicants propose that the controlling mechanism leading to the boiling crisis is due to instabilities occuring at the trible line. Instabilities responsible for such a mechanism originate from intense evaporation rates (recoil instability) and thermal variations (thermocapilary instability). In this theoretical and experimental investigation, the applicants will endeavour to model, develop and verify the new proposed mechanism for CHF, i.e. that it is caused by the recoil and thermocapilary instabilities. The use of a third, externally imposed and controlled instability caused by an electrostatic field across the fluid domain will be modelled. This will provide the methodology for predicting the electrohydrodynamic enhancement of the CHF, provide new data and assist in the verification of the proposed new mechanism for the boiling crisis. The modelling resullts will be compared with detailed and highly accurate experimental
Key Findings
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Potential use in non-academic contexts
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Impacts
Description This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Summary
Date Materialised
Sectors submitted by the Researcher
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Project URL:  
Further Information:  
Organisation Website: http://www.ed.ac.uk