A three-dimensional analytical solution of the microheater temperature before bubble nucleation

A three-dimensional analytical solution of the microheater temperature based on heat diffusion equation is developed and compared with experimental results. Dimensionless parameters are introduced to analyze the temperature rise time and the distribution under steady state. To study the microheater temperatures before bubble nucleation, a set of working fluids and microheaters are considered. It is shown that the dimensionless time xi(-)(0) required for the temperature rise from room to 95% of the steady state temperature is about 75, not dependent on working fluids and microheaters. Heat transfer to the surrounding liquid is mainly caused by conduction, not by convection and radiation mechanisms. The microheater length affects the surface temperature uniformity, while its width influences the steady temperatures significantly, yielding the transition from heterogeneous to homogeneous nucleation mechanism from square microheaters to narrow line microheaters. 

Effect of pulse heating parameters on the microscale bubble dynamics at a microheater surface

We study the effects of pulse heating parameters on the micro bubble behavior of a platinum microheater (100 mu m x 20 mu m) immersed in a methanol pool. The experiment covers the heat fluxes of 10-37 MW/m(2) and pulse frequencies of 25-500 Hz. The boiling incipience is initiated at the superheat limit of methanol, corresponding to the homogeneous nucleation. Three types of micro boiling patterns are identified. The first type is named as the bubble explosion and regrowth, consisting of a violent explosive boiling and shrinking, followed by a slower bubble regrowth and subsequent shrinking, occurring at lower heat fluxes. The second type, named as the bubble breakup and attraction, consists of the violent explosive boiling, bubble breakup and emission, bubble attraction and coalescence process, occurring at higher heat fluxes than those of the first type. The third type, named as the bubble size oscillation and large bubble formation, involves the initial explosive boiling, followed by a short periodic bubble growth and shrinking. Then the bubble continues to increase its size, until a constant bubble size is reached which is larger than the microheater length.