Bubble departure size in flow boiling

Flow boiling experiments were conducted in a vertical annular channel to study bubble departure characteristics. Deionized water was used as the working fluid, and the tests were performed at atmospheric pressure. Bubble departure diameters were obtained from the images which were captured by a high-speed digital camera. The relationship between bubble contact diameter and departure diameter was discussed. A new model base on force balance analysis, taking bubble contact diameter into account for predicting bubble departure diameter is proposed in this study. A good agreement between predicted and measured results is achieved.