Bubbles Boost Heat Removal in Microgravity—Until a Safety Threshold Is Reached
An npj Microgravity study finds that in near-zero gravity boiling liquid nitrogen can temporarily improve heat removal because bubbles cling to the heater, but once a heat threshold is exceeded cooling collapses (max heat removal falls ~65% vs ground tests); the result emphasizes surface design, using a smooth silicon wafer, for cooling space fuels and electronics.