Bubble growth in a uniform and spatially distributed temperature field

A theory has been developed which has been shown to predict experimental bu bble growth data for both spherical growth in an unbounded liquid and hemis pherical growth at a heated plane surface in microgravity. The theory is ab le to accommodate both spatial and temporal variations in the temperature a nd velocity fields in the liquid surrounding the bubble as it grows. Utilis ing the present theory, the complicated thermal and hydrodynamic interactio ns between the vapour, liquid and solid have been manifested for a single i solated bubble growing on a heated plane surface from inception. (C) 2001 E lsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.