The effects of electrode polarities on EHD enhancement boiling heat transfer were investigated theoretically and experimentally based on the analysis of electric field distribution affected by superheat boundary layer and charge injection. The results showed that electric field distribution was changed by the charge induced by temperature gradients in the superheat boundary layer, but the change was independent of electrode polarities. However, when electric charge injection occurred, the electrode applied positive high voltage might generate different characteristics of charge injection from that generated by applied negative high voltage. If the electric field on the surface of heat transfer increased due to charge injection, the augmentation effects would increase. The experiments demonstrated that positive high voltage gave larger enhancement factors than negative high voltage. The experimental phenomena could be interpreted well on the basis of charge injection characteristics.
Based on the second law of thermodynamics,a method of energy consumption evaluation of electrohydrodynamics(EHD) enhancement of heat transfer was presented, the profit factor of available energy was newly defined.The experimental data were analyzed. The results showed that the profit factor of available energy increased with increasing heat flux under the same voltage given in experiments, while decreased with increasing voltage under the same heat flux given in experiments.It was found for the first time that the application of EHD enhancement of heat transfer was not economical when the voltage was higher than a critical value at a low heat flux. This method provided a theoretical basis for the economy of EHD heat transfer enhancement.
