Study of Surface Tension, Natural Evaporation, and Subcooled Boiling Evaporation of Aqueous Surfactant Solutions

<p>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.</p> <p>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.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis - Open Access

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Aerospace Engineering

Year

2016

Author dc:creator

• Lehman, Matthew John

• surface tension
• evaporation
• aqueous
• surfuctant
• Aerospace Engineering

Repository record dc:identifier

https://commons.erau.edu/edt/305

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:commons.erau.edu:edt-1304