Topic : Boiling and Condensation MCQs

1. Boiling refers to a change from the

a) Solid to a liquid phase
b) Vapor to a liquid phase
c) Liquid to a solid phase
d) Liquid to a vapor phase
Answer: d
Explanation: Boiling is a convective heat transfer process that is associated with a change in the phase of a
fluid.
2. The boiling process has wide-spread applications in
(i) Production of steam in nuclear and steam power plants for generation and for industrial processes and space heating
(ii) Absorption of heat in refrigeration and air-conditioning systems
(iii) Concentration, dehydration and drying of foods and materials
Identify the correct statements
a) i and ii
b) ii and iii
c) i, ii and iii
d) i and iii
Answer: c
Explanation: Boiling constitutes the convective heat transfer process that involves a phase change from liquid to
vapor state.
3. Which type of boiling occurs in steam boilers employing natural convection?
a) Forced convection
b) Pool
c) Local
d) Saturated
Answer:b
Explanation: The liquid above the hot surface is essentially stagnant and the only motion near the surface is
because of free convection.
4. In which type of boiling the fluid motion is induced by external means?
a)Pool
b)Local
c)Forced convection
d) Subcooled
Answer: c
Explanation: The liquid is pumped and forced across the surface in a controlled manner.
5. The temperature of the liquid is below the saturation temperature and boiling takes place only in vicinity of the heated
surface. This type of boiling is known as
a) Subcooled
b) Forces
c) Saturated
d) Pool
Answer: a
Explanation: The vapor bubbles travel a short path and then vanish, apparently they condense in the bulk of
the liquid which is at a temperature less than the boiling point.
6. The phenomenon of stable film boiling is referred to as
a) Nucleate effect
b) Boiling regimes
c) Leiden frost effect
d) Von karma effect
Answer: c
Explanation: This is the region of stable film boiling
7.  The boiling phenomenon is known to occur in how many forms?
a) 1
b) 2
c) 3
d) 4
 Topic : Boiling and Condensation MCQs
Answer: d
Explanation: Pool, forced convection, subcooled and saturated boiling.
8. The bubble diameter at the time of detachment from the surface can be worked out from the relation proposed by
a) Stanton
b) Fritz
c) Fourier
d) Nusselt
Answer: b
Explanation: It is given by Fritz, an American scientist.
9. The nucleate pool boiling is influenced by the following factors
(1) Pressure
(2) Liquid properties
(3) Material
Identify the correct statements
a) i, ii and iii
b) ii only
c) i and ii
d) ii and iii
Answer: a
Explanation: It depends on pressure, material and liquid properties.
10. The bubble diameter at the time of detachment from the surface can be worked out from the relation proposed by Fritz
and is given by
a) C d β [2 σ/g (p t – p v)].
b) C d β [2 σ/g (p t – p v)] 3/2
c) C d β [2 σ/g (p t – p v)] 1/2
d) C d β [2 σ/g (p t – p v)] 5/2
Answer: c
11. In spite of large heat transfer coefficient in boiling liquids, fins are used advantageously when the entire surface is
exposed to
a) Film boiling
b) Transition boiling
c) Nucleate boiling
d) All modes of boiling
Answer: d
Explanation: Here all modes of boiling i.e. film, transition and nucleate are of great importance.
12. With increase in excess temperature, the heat flux in boiling
a) Increases continuously
b) Decreases and then increases
c) Decreases, then increases and again decreases
d) Increases, then decreases and again increases
Answer: d
Explanation: It first increases to 50% then decreases not to zero and again increases to its maximum value.
13. The excess temperature range 50 degree Celsius < d t < 200 degree Celsius is indicative of the region of
a) Interface evaporation
b) Nuclear boiling
c) Partial film boiling
d) Stable film boiling
Answer: c
Explanation: The physical phenomenon of pool boiling is generally divided into four different regions based on
the excess temperature.
14. Heat flux increases with temperature excess beyond the Leiden-frost point due to
a) Radiation effect becomes predominant
b) Occurrence of subcooled boiling
 Topic : Boiling and Condensation MCQs
c) Vapor space become large
d) Promotion of nucleate boiling
Answer: a
Explanation: Heat flux increases with temperature excess beyond the Leiden-frost point due to radiation effect
becomes predominant.
15. Leiden-frost expansion is related to
a) Condensation of vapor on a cold surface
b) Exchange of heat between two solids
c) Evaporation of a solution
d) Boiling of liquid on a hot surface
Answer: d
Explanation: It is related to boiling of liquid on a hot surface.
16. Consider the following statements regarding nucleate boiling
(i) The temperature of the surface is greater than the saturation temperature of the liquid
(ii) Bubbles are created by the expansion of entrapped gas oil vapor at small cavities in the surface
(iii) The temperature is greater than that in film boiling
(iv) The heat transfer from the surface to the liquid is greater than that in the film boiling
Which of these statements are correct?
a) i and iii
b) i, ii and iv
c) ii, iii and iv
d) i, ii and iii
Answer: b
Explanation: The temperature must be less than that in film boiling.
17. Reynolds number is replaced by a modulus significant of the agitation of the fluid particles in nucleate boiling.
Such a dimensionless modulus is defined by the relation
a) Re b = 2 D b G b/δ f
b) Re b = D b G b/δ f
c) Re b = ½ D b G b/δ f
d) Re b = 3 D b G b/δ f
Answer: b
Explanation: This nucleate boiling regime is of great importance because of the very high heat fluxes
possible with moderate temperature differences. Where, D b is the average bubble diameter, G b is the
mass velocity of the bubble per unit area and δ f is the fluid viscosity.
18. Spherical bubbles of 3 mm diameter are observed in the bulk fluid boiling of water at standard atmospheric
pressure. Assuming pure water vapor in the bubble and vapor pressure equal to 101.325 k N/m 2, calculate the
temperature of the vapor
a) 100.217 degree Celsius
b) 200.217 degree Celsius
c) 300.217 degree Celsius
d) 400.217 degree Celsius
Answer: a
Explanation: T v – T sat = (2 σ/r – p g) R v T V2/p v h f g.
19. An electric wire of 1.25 mm diameter and 250 mm long is laid horizontally and submerged in water at 7 bar. The
wire has an applied voltage of 2.2 V and carries a current of 130 amperes. If the surface of the wire is maintained
at 200 degree Celsius, make calculations for the heat flux
a) 0.0915 * 10 6 W/m2
b) 0.1915 * 10 6 W/m2
c) 0.2915 * 10 6 W/m2
d) 0.3915 * 10 6 W/m2
Answer: c
Explanation: Q= V I = 286 W and A = 9.81 * 10 -4 m2. Therefore heat flux = Q/A.
20. All the following statements are correct, except
a) Nucleate boiling gets promoted on a smooth surface
b) In subcooled heating, the temperature of the heating surface is more than the boiling point of the liquid
c) Film boiling region is usually avoided in commercial equipment
d) There occurs transition from nucleate to film boiling burn-out point on the boiling curve
Answer: a
Explanation: A rough surface gives a better heat transmission than when the surface is either smooth or has
been coated to weak its tendency to get wetted.
21. Milk spills over when it is boiled in an open vessel. The boiling of milk at this instant is referred to as
a) Interface evaporation
 Topic : Boiling and Condensation MCQs
b) Sub-cooled boiling
c) Film boiling
d) Saturated nucleate boiling
Answer: b
Explanation: This is an application of sub-cooled boiling.
22. When evaporation takes place at the liquid-vapor interface, the heat transfer is solely due to free convection and
the film coefficient follows the relation
a) Nu = f 1 (G r) f 2 (P r)
b) Nu = 2 f 1 (G r) f 2 (P r)
c) Nu = 3 f 1 (G r) f 2 (P r)
d) Nu = 4 f 1 (G r) f 2 (P r)
Answer: a
Explanation: The functions f 1 and f 2 depend upon the geometry of the heating surface.
23. Fritz criterion is given by
a) h = 1.973 (Q/A) 0.45
b) h = 1.973 (Q/A) 0.55
c) h = 1.973 (Q/A) 0.65
d) h = 1.973 (Q/A) 0.75
Answer: d
Explanation: Fritz formulated the following formula for water boiling at atmospheric pressure in free convection in
a vertical tube headed from outside.
24. A 0.10 cm diameter and 15 cm long wire has been laid horizontally and submerged in water at atmospheric
pressure. The wire has a steady state voltage drop of 14.5 V and a current of 42.5 A. Determine the heat flux of
the wire.
The following equation applies for water boiling on a horizontal submerged surface
H = 1.54 (Q/A) 0.75 = 5.58 (d t) 3 W/m2 K where Q/A is the heat flux rate in W/m2 and d t is the temperature difference
between surface and saturation
a) 1.308 * 10 8 W/m2
b) 1.308 * 10 7 W/m2
c) 1.308 * 10 6 W/m2
d) 1.308 * 10 5 W/m2
Answer: c
Explanation: Q = E I = 616.25 W and A = 4.71 * 10 -4 m2.
25. Natural convection heat transfer coefficients over surface of a vertical pipe and a vertical flat plate for same
height. What is/are the possible reasons for this?
(i) Same height
(ii) Both vertical
(iii) Same fluid
(iv) Same fluid flow pattern
Select the correct answer
a) iv
b) i and ii
c) i
d) iii and iv
Answer: d
Explanation: The fluids must be same so their flow pattern.
26. The heat flux in nucleate boiling varies in accordance with
a) h f g
b) (h f g) 0.5
c) 1/(h f g) 2
d) (h f g) 3
Answer: c
Explanation: Q/A = δ f h f g [(p f – p g) g/σ] 0.5 [C f d t/h f g p C s f] 3.
27.  In nucleate pool boiling, the heat flux depends on
a) Liquid properties, material and condition of the surface
b) Material of the surface only
 Topic : Boiling and Condensation MCQs
c) Material and roughness of the surface
d) Liquid properties and material of the surface
Answer: a
Explanation: The heat flux must depends on liquid properties material and condition of the surface.
28. A 1.0 mm diameter and 300 mm long nickel wire is submerged horizontal in water at atmospheric pressure. At
burnout, the wire has a current of 195 A. Calculate the voltage at burnout. The relevant thermos-physical
properties are
p f (fluid) = 959.52 kg/m3
p g (vapor) = 0.597 kg/m3
h f g = 2257000 J/kg
σ = 0.0533 N/m
a) 6.15 V
b) 7.15 V
c) 8.15 V
d) 9.15 V
Answer: b
Explanation: (Q/A) MAX = 1480000 W/m2. Let E b be the voltage at burnout. Then electric energy input to wire is E b I
= 195 E b W.
29. The burnout heat flux in the nucleate boiling regime is a function of which of the following properties?
1. Heat of evaporation 2. Temperature difference 3. Density of vapour 4. Density of liquid 5. Vapour-liquid surface
tension Select the correct answer using the codes given below: Codes:
(a) 1, 2, 4 and 5
(b) 1, 2, 3 and 5
(c) 1, 3, 4 and 5
(d) 2, 3 and 4