Critical Heat Flux Limits for a Heated Surface Impacted by a Stream of Liquid Droplets

An experimental apparatus has been constructed to allow investigation of heat transfer from a horizontal, upward facing, heated surface impacted by streams of monodisperse water droplets of varying size and impact frequency. Droplet diameters between 2.3 and 3.8 mm were used, with drop frequencies varying from 2 to 15 droplets per second. The droplet impact velocity was 1.3 m/s. Critical heat flux, surface superheat, droplet size, and frequency were the primary measured data. Heat fluxes as high as 325 W/cm² were achieved with wall superheats of only 24°C. The liquid film thickness produced upon droplet impact is shown to be a key factor in these experiments, and the importance of investigating the wetted area is highlighted. The effectiveness of droplet impact cooling using droplets with diameters on the order of millimeters is shown.