The effect of surface vibration on spray evaporative cooling

An experimental investigation of the effect of surface vibration on spray evaporative cooling has been undertaken using a dynamic test rig. The horizontal circular test section involved a spray nozzle on top of a shaker being shaking at different frequencies and amplitudes to examine the effect of vibration on the nucleate boiling regime. The combination of the two-phase spray cooling and dynamic surface conditions has not previously been studied. The results clearly show that dynamic surface conditions influence nucleate boiling. In general, the evidence shows that vibration impedes heat transfer. The influence of amplitude and frequency are shown however not to have the same trend for all the excess temperatures. Depending on the mechanism, combinations of amplitude and frequency can either increase or decrease the heat transfer coefficient compared with the static cooling surface.