In this study, nucleate pool boiling of surfactant solutions are investigated. The surfactants chosen for the study are an ionic sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), nonionic ECOSURF™ EH-14, and nonionic ECOSURF™ SA-9. It is observed that adding a small amount of surfactant alters the water boiling phenomenon considerably. Boiling curves for different concentrations are shifted to the left. The wall temperature dropped with an increase in the concentration of aqueous surfactant solutions. Also, it is found that the boiling heat transfer enhancement of SLS is higher than that of EH-14 and SA-9 compared to water. Boiling heat transfer coefficient (h) enhancements compared to water are 46%, 30%, and 21%. (for SLS, for EH-14 and for SA-9 respectively)
Boiling visualization shows that boiling with surfactant solutions compared with that in pure water is more vigorous. Bubbles are smaller, activate continuously, and collapse quickly. Also, the bubble departure frequency is observed to be higher than that of pure water.
Results prove that there is an important possibility to enhance the boiling application processes by environmentally friendly EH-14, and SA-9 additives. Experimentation can be extended for searching other surfactants in order to find their most efficient quantity in water for boiling heat transfer.
Heat Transfer: Enhanced Boiling Heat Transfer Performance on Microstructured Silicate Glass Surfaces Derived from Inorganic Polymer‐Based Soft Lithography (Adv. Mater. Interfaces 20/2016)
