A Semi-analytical Method for Computing the Dynamics of Bubble Growth: The Effect of Superheat and Operating Pressure

In this work, we propose a semi-analytical method for computing the dynamics of a spherical-bubble growth in an infinite pool of superheated water. The dynamics shows the temporal variation of bubble radius in superheat of 1.4–17.89 K. The method accurately computes the bubble growth controlled by surface tension, particularly in very low superheats, in which the existing theories are not adequate. The present method consistent with the existing theories computes the bubble growth controlled by heat transfer in high superheats. The semi-analytical method with a modification of heat transfer at the interface is capable of predicting the bubble growth in pool boiling experiments and numerical simulations. The effect of increasing operating pressure on the bubble growth decreases the growth constant following a power law. The variations in energy components due to pressure difference, inertia, surface tension, and thermal diffusion reveal some interesting insights of the bubble-growth mechanism