A unifying criterion of the boiling crisis

We reveal and justify, both theoretically and experimentally, the existence of a unifying criterion of the boiling crisis. This criterion emerges from an instability in the near-wall interactions of bubbles, which can be described as a percolation process driven by three fundamental boiling parameters: nucleation site density, average bubble footprint radius and product of average bubble growth time and detachment frequency. Our analysis suggests that the boiling crisis occurs on a well-defined critical surface in the multidimensional space of these parameters. Our experiments confirm the existence of this unifying criterion for a wide variety of boiling surface geometries and textures, two boiling regimes (pool and flow boiling) and two fluids (water and liquid nitrogen). This criterion constitutes a simple mechanistic rule to predict the boiling crisis, also providing a guiding principle for designing boiling surfaces that would maximize the nucleate boiling performance. Boiling crisis is a physical phenomenon limiting the operation of many technologies cooled by boiling. Zhang et al. reveal theoretically and experimentally the existence of a unifying criterion to explain and predict the boiling crisis.

Automated summary

This study reveals and justifies the existence of a unifying criterion for the boiling crisis. The criterion arises from an instability in the near-wall interactions of bubbles, characterized by three fundamental boiling parameters: nucleation site density, average bubble footprint radius, and the product of average bubble growth time and detachment frequency. Experimental results confirm the presence of this criterion for various boiling surface geometries and textures, two boiling regimes, and two fluids. This criterion provides a simple mechanistic rule for predicting the boiling crisis and guiding the design of boiling surfaces for enhanced nucleate boiling performance.