Experimental study on the explosive boiling in saturated liquid nitrogen

Studies on the heat-transfer characteristics of liquid nitrogen (LN2) have received increasing attention. When there is a transient high heatflux input to the LN2, explosive boiling may take place. In this paper, using the high-power short-duration pulsed laser heating method and the high-speed photography technology, the experimental result of explosive boiling in saturated LN2 is illustrated: and the two exclusive characteristics of explosive boiling in LN2: changeover time and the relative long-time adherence of the bubble cluster to the surface, are investigated. Supported by the Major State Basic Research Development Program of China (Grand No. G2000026305), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 50376063), and the Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences.