Review of two-phase flow instability

Boiling flow in a water-cooled reactor, an evaporator, or an electronic cooling system is susceptible to thermal-hydrodynamic instabilities, which may cause flow oscillations of constant amplitude or diverging amplitude. These oscillations could induce boiling crisis, disturb control systems, or cause mechanical damage. This paper identifies the causes and mechanisms of these instabilities. Based on their mechanisms, various types of instabilities are classified and tabulated. The parametric effects on flow instability, observed experimentally, are systematically presented. Various analytical techniques for predicting the instability threshold are reviewed in terms of their applicability and accuracy.