Effects of spray characteristics on critical heat flux in subcooled water spray cooling

Effects of spray parameters (mean droplet size, droplet flux, and droplet velocity) on critical heat flux (CHF) were studied while these parameters were systematically varied. The effect of each parameter was studied while keeping the other two nearly constant. The mean droplet velocity (P) had the most dominant effect on CHF and the heat transfer coefficient at CHF (h(c)), followed by the mean droplet flux (N). The Sauter mean diameter (d(32)) did not appear to have an effect on CHF. By increasing V, CHF and h(c) were increased. This trend was observed when all other spray parameters were kept within narrow ranges and even when relaxed to wider ranges, indicating the dominant effect of V. The effect of N, although not so much as V. was also found to be significant. Increasing N resulted in an increase in CHF and h(c) when other parameters are kept in narrow ranges. A dilute spray with large droplet velocities appears to be more effective in increasing CHF than a denser spray with lower velocities for a given N. The mass flow rate was not a controlling parameter of CHF. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.