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Nanostructured hydrophilic surfaces can enhance boiling processes due to the liquid wicking effect of the small surface structures, but consistently uniform nanoscale interstitial spaces would provide very few heterogeneous nucleation sites, which would require high superheat to activate in, for example, liquid water. Experiments indicate that surfaces of this type initiate onset of nucleate boiling at relatively low superheat levels, implying that larger-than-average interstitial spaces exist, apparently as a consequence of larger micron-scale variations of the surface structure or surface chemistry (wetting) resulting from the fabrication process. The investigation summarized here explores the potential correlation between nanostructured surface morphology variations and onset of nucleation. A zinc oxide nanostructured coating was fabricated on a copper substrate for experiments and analysis in this study. The coated surface was subjected to water droplet deposition tests to evaluate wicking and contact angle, followed by vaporization tests at varying surface superheat levels, and extensive electron microscopy imaging of the surface. The results of the vaporization experiments determined the variation of mean heat flux to the droplet as a function of superheat, and high-speed videos documented the superheat at which onset of nucleate boiling (ONB) occurs and variation of nucleation site density with superheat. Image analysis of the electron microscopy images were used to assess the variability of pore size and surface complexity (entropy) over the surface. By determining macroscope bubble nucleation and boiling performance from measured data and high-speed video records for these surfaces, and simultaneously analyzing the morphology of that surface at the micro/nano scale, our data demonstrates the correlation between surface morphology variations and ONB and nucleate boiling active site density. Specifically, our results indicate that increased irregularities in the surface morphology correspond to enhanced probability of nucleation onset and an increase in active nucleation site density as superheat increases. Our data indicates the range of irregularity number density values (number per square millimeter) and the imperfection features that give rise to consistent low superheat ONB (∼ 15◦𝐶), leads to a robust increase in active site density during nucleate boiling as super heat increases. This information can help guide development of enhanced boiling surfaces by providing insight into the frequency of nanosurface morphology variations, per square millimeter, that enhance nucleation onset while also providing enhanced wicking and low contact angle over most of the surface. The implication of these results for design of different types of enhanced boiling surfaces is also discussed.
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This content will become publicly available on July 8, 2026
Lattice Boltzmann Simulation of The Effects of Nanobubble Morphology and Surface Nanofeatures on Superheat-Driven Nucleation and Bubble Growth
ABSTRACT Bubble nucleation associated with nucleate boiling at superheated surfaces has typically focused on surfaces with features on the order of microns and bubble embryos with comparable interface radii of curvature. For such surfaces the vapor embryo growth or collapse behavior is consistent with surface tension and wetting forces being confined to the contact line region at the surface. In a pure fluid saturating a superheated nanopororus layer, random density fluctuations can lead to the formation of nanoscale bubble embryos. Said fluctuations increase as the liquid is superheated and can lead to macroscopic nucleation. Entrapment of gas when nanostructured surfaces are flooded with liquid can also result in nanoscale bubble embryos in or near the porous layer. For highly wetted nanostructured surfaces, the fluid-to-surface attractive forces are strong over much of a nanobubble embryo, and the critical bubble size that results in spontaneous bubble growth is affected more strongly by surface forces. A Lattice Boltzmann model (LBM) is used to simulate the time evolution behavior of bubble embryos, with radii ranging from 5 to 15 nanometers, close to or within nanoscale interstitial spaces of a nanostructured surface. Single vapor nanobubbles are seeded in surrounding fluid with varying degrees of contact with solid surfaces to simulate smooth or nanostructured surfaces. The effects of varying adsorption coefficient (which dictates contact angle), varying bubble surface radius of curvature, mean distance of wall nanostructures from the embryo, and varying degrees of enclosure of the embryo by surrounding wall structures are explored. The simulation results indicate that the critical radius is largely impacted by the proximity of nanostructures, demonstrating how the fluid-surface forces affect the stability of a vapor embryo. The results suggest that the hydrophilic nature of the surfaces contributes to the suppression in the onset of nucleate boiling which is often seen in hydrophilic nanoporous layers. The implications of these results on convective and nucleate boiling at and within nanostructured surfaces are also discussed.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2228373
- PAR ID:
- 10656811
- Publisher / Repository:
- ASME
- Date Published:
- Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
- nanobubbles, surface wetting, surface nano morphology, bubble nucleation, onset of nucleate boiling
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Location:
- Westminster, CO
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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