Influence of Flow Regime, Heat Flux, and Mass Flux on Electrohydrodynamically Enhanced Convective Boiling

The influence of quality, flow regime, heat flux, and mass flux on the electrohydrodynamic (EHD) enhancement of convective boiling of R-134a in a horizontal smooth tube was investigated in detail. The EHD forces generated significant enhancements in the heat transfer coefficient, but the enhancements were highly dependent on the quality, flow regime, heat flux, and mass flux. The experimental data provided evidence that an optimum EHD enhancement exists for a given set of these variables with a specific electrode design. However, experimental data also provided evidence that the EHD forces can drastically reduce the rate of heat transfer at certain conditions