Date of Award

Fall 11-2016

Access Type

Thesis - Open Access

Degree Name

Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering

Department

Aerospace Engineering

Committee Chair

Birce Dikici

First Committee Member

Mark Ricklick

Second Committee Member

Bertrand Rollin

Abstract

The relation between surface tension and surfactant concentration and its effect on solution evaporation under natural convection and subcooled pool boiling is examined through experimental methods. Aqueous solutions of sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), ECOSURFTM EH-14, and ECOSURFTM SA-9 are used in this study. SLS is an anionic surfactant while EH-14 and SA-9 are environmentally-friendly nonionic surfactants.

Surfactants, surface active agents, are known to affect evaporation performance of solutions and are studied in relation to water loss prevention and heat dissipation. Surfactants could be useful under drought conditions which present challenges to water management on a yearly basis in arid areas of the world. Recent water scarcity in the greater Los Angeles area, south eastern Africa nations, eastern Australia and eastern Mediterranean countries has highlighted the cost of water loss by evaporation. Surfactants are studied as a potential effective method of suppressing evaporation in water reservoirs and lowering associated human suffering and costs. Surfactants are also studied as performance enhancers for the working fluid of heat dissipation devices, such as pulsating heat pipes used for electronics cooling. Some surfactants have been shown to lower thermal resistances and friction pressure in such devices and thereby increase their efficiency.

Download

Share

COinS