Study into the pattern of flashing of liquid in the vicinity of the limit of its attainable superheating

The pattern of flashing of liquid in the vicinity of the limit of its attainable superheating is investigated experimentally. The Skripov criterion is used, according to which, in the case of homogeneous boiling, the product of the mean expectation time for boiling by the magnitude of volume being superheated at preassigned temperature and pressure is a constant quantity. The experiments are performed with $n$-pentane. Thanks to thorough degassing of the liquid being investigated, the temperature of the previously attained superheating is exceeded by $1.0$–$1.5^\circ$ C. The mean lifetime is measured in several glass capillaries of substantially different volumes. The data obtained point to the invalidity of the criterion of homogeneity of boiling of liquid in the vicinity of the limit of its attainable superheating. Also studied is the probability density of the expectation times for boiling with respect to magnitude. It is demonstrated experimentally that the probability density curve has a small empty portion at the beginning, an abrupt rise to a maximum, and a close-to-exponential decrease. This form of the probability density function is typical of unsteady-state random processes.