TY - JOUR

T1 - Presumed role of non-condensable residuals in vapor bubble growth at an artificial site in subcooled boiling under microgravity

AU - Ronshin, Fedor

AU - Rednikov, Alexey

AU - Zorkina, Anastasia

AU - Kabov, Oleg

AU - Colinet, Pierre

AU - Tadrist, Lounes

N1 - The present work has been carried out in the framework of the ESA projects AO-2004-111: BOILING, AO-1999-110: EVAPORATION, AO- 2004096: CONDENSATION. We thank RUBI Science Team: P. Stephan and A. Sielaff (coordinators); Technical University of Darmstadt, ITT; Aix-Marseille University, IUSTI; University of Pisa; Institute of Thermal Fluid Dynamics, ENEA; Institut de Mécanique des Fluides de Toulouse; Aristotle University of Thessaloniki; Université libre de Bruxelles, TIPs; University of Ljubljana; Paul Sabatier University, LAPLACE; University of Padova; Kutateladze Institute of Thermophysics, Novosibirsk; Hyogo University; Kobe University. We are grateful to D. Mangini, O. Minster, A. Pacros, and B. Tóth (ESA coordinators). We also thank AIRBUS (O. Schoele-Schulz’s team) and B.USOC (C. Jacobs and D. Van Hoof) for the technical realization. We are grateful to Technical University of Darmstadt, ITT (M. Schinnerl and A. Sielaff) for original post-processing of raw data. FR acknowledges IT SB RAS (state contract No. 122022800489-6) and funding by the Russian Science Foundation, Russia, project No. 21-79-10357 (bubble growth analysis). AR acknowledges the funding from ESA/BELSPO PRODEX Heat Transfer and Evaporation. OK acknowledges funding by the Russian Science Foundation, Russia, project No. 19-19-00695 (contact angle phenomena analysis). PC acknowledges the funding from the Fond de la Recherche Scientifique – FNRS. LT acknowledge the CNES (National Centre for Space Studies) and ANR – FRANCE (French National Research Agency) for its financial support of the TraThI project ANR-21-CE50-0009-01.

PY - 2025/11/15

Y1 - 2025/11/15

N2 - A series of boiling experiments was conducted on a single artificial nucleation site aboard the International Space Station (ISS) using the Multiscale Boiling (RUBI) facility. These experiments aim to elucidate the mechanisms of bubble nucleation and growth during boiling under microgravity conditions, where the effects of gravity and natural convection are eliminated. This unique environment allows bubbles to grow to sizes unattainable under terrestrial conditions. The bubble dynamics were monitored using a side-view black-and-white camera and a bottom-view infrared camera observing through a transparent heated substrate. This study focuses on the results of a single-bubble pool-boiling experiment, with particular attention to the influence of varying levels of liquid subcooling. The experimental findings are supported by numerical simulations based on a previously developed model. Certain observed phenomena, such as a bubble avoiding collapse and then resuming its growth, were found to be hardly explainable without presuming the presence of non-condensable residuals, in spite of a careful degassation of the working FC-72 liquid. The model was modified accordingly to test such a picture of the phenomenon, which included the thermal Marangoni (thermocapillary) convection as a consequence of non-condensables.

AB - A series of boiling experiments was conducted on a single artificial nucleation site aboard the International Space Station (ISS) using the Multiscale Boiling (RUBI) facility. These experiments aim to elucidate the mechanisms of bubble nucleation and growth during boiling under microgravity conditions, where the effects of gravity and natural convection are eliminated. This unique environment allows bubbles to grow to sizes unattainable under terrestrial conditions. The bubble dynamics were monitored using a side-view black-and-white camera and a bottom-view infrared camera observing through a transparent heated substrate. This study focuses on the results of a single-bubble pool-boiling experiment, with particular attention to the influence of varying levels of liquid subcooling. The experimental findings are supported by numerical simulations based on a previously developed model. Certain observed phenomena, such as a bubble avoiding collapse and then resuming its growth, were found to be hardly explainable without presuming the presence of non-condensable residuals, in spite of a careful degassation of the working FC-72 liquid. The model was modified accordingly to test such a picture of the phenomenon, which included the thermal Marangoni (thermocapillary) convection as a consequence of non-condensables.

KW - Microgravity

KW - Non-condensables

KW - Pool boiling

KW - Single bubble growth

KW - Thermocapillary convection

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/af0a49ca-c7f1-3c44-a64b-e5e71bfcb392/

UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=105010956444&origin=inward

U2 - 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2025.127333

DO - 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2025.127333

M3 - Article

VL - 279

JO - Applied Thermal Engineering

JF - Applied Thermal Engineering

SN - 1359-4311

M1 - 127333

ER -