On the validity of the adiabatic spreading assumption in droplet impact cooling

The effect of heat transfer on the spreading of a water droplet impacting a heated surface has been numerically investigated. The aim is to assess the validity of commonly made assumptions in spray cooling models which ignore heat transfer during the droplet spreading period. The results of this stu dy indicate that while the amount of heat transfer during the droplet sprea ding period may, itself, be small, its impact on the liquid coverage area a nd the subsequent heat transfer to the resulting liquid film may be substan tial. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.