Pot Boiler: A New, Faster Way to Heat Water [News]
Tuesday, July 8, 2008 - 13:56
in Physics & Chemistry
Many recipes and procedures call for bringing water to a roiling boil--from making the perfect cup of tea to generating electric power. But the bubbles that denote the rapid transformation of water from a liquid to a vapor, otherwise known as steam, actually slow the process. The normal, microscopic imperfections--holes, gaps and voids--on the surfaces of everything from industrial boilers to pots and pans create pockets where air is trapped and liquid water can become steam. But the process in each void ends after a steam bubble develops and travels to the surface, because water subsequently fills the gap where it formed. [More]