Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) enhancement of boiling heat transfer of R113+WT4% ethanol

Nucleate boiling heat transfer for refrigerants, R113, and R113+wt4% ethanol mixture, an azeotropic mixture under electric field was investigated experimentally in a single-tube shell/tube heat exchanger. A special electrode configuration which provides a more uniform electric field that produces more higher voltage limit against the dielectric breakdown was used in this study. Experimental study has revealed that the electrical charge relaxation time is an important parameter for the boiling heat transfer enhancement under electric field. Up to 1210% enhancement of boiling heat transfer was obtained for R113+wt4% ethanol mixture which has the electrical charge relaxation time of 0.0053 sec whereas only 280% enhancement obtained for R113 which has relaxation time of 0.97 sec. With artificially machined boiling surface, more enhancement in the heat transfer coefficient in the azeotropic mixture was obtained.