Flow Instabilities in Boiling Channels : Part 1 Pressure Drop Oscillation

The pressure drop oscillation in a boiling channel system was analyzed by using a lumped parameter model in which the pressure drop characteristics was described by a third order equation of the flow rate. The momentum equation in the boiling channel system was thus reduced to a Van der Pol equation. The limit cycle and the period of the pressure drop oscillation obtained from the Van der Pol equation agreed qualitatively with experimental results