Gross deficiencies in the NSF review process

We need the NSB to recognize the gross deficiencies in the NSF review of
proposals. I claim to have discovered everything that is chastised in the
following biased review of the referenced proposal:

Proposal Number: 1132890
NSF Program: THERMAL TRANSPORT PROCESSES
Principal Investigator: Leyse, Robert H
Proposal Title: Proprietary Transformative Separations
Rating: Fair
REVIEW:
What is the intellectual merit of the proposed activity?
The most compelling portion of this proposal is that the PI has identified an anomalous
boiling heat transfer regime from microscale wire surfaces. Unfortunately, the PI has not
presented a convincing research plan that will lead to a fundamental understanding of
the heat transfer process he has identified. Countless anomalous regimes have been
identified in boiling heat transfer. While the PI believes that his discoveries are
transformative, this Reviewer fails to see it. Truly transformative research will seek to
explain the physical mechanisms driving the anomalous observations, and provide
technologists with the understanding that may lead to technological advances.
However, the PI fails to mention any of the various physical boiling phenomena at
different length and time scale which may influence the process. For example, the PI
claims his measurements are steady state. This completely ignores the time scales
associated with ebullition. The PI claims the dispersive mechanism is turbulence without
any evidence. It can just as easily be hypothesized that the dispersive mechanism is
microbubble growth and collapse that has been observed in highly subcooled systems.
It is unfortunate that the PI has expended so much effort to convince NSF to fund his
proposed research. If the PI is convinced that his discoveries are transformative and
can lead to revolutionary new technology, he should focus his efforts on developing that
technology. For whatever it is worth, this Reviewer believes that the heat transfer
behavior observed is confined to microscale wires, and attempts at scale-up would not
be fruitful.
What are the broader impacts of the proposed activity?
It is difficult to identify broader impact associated with the proposal.
Summary Statement
Past Reviewers have been too gentle in pointing out the weaknesses of the proposed
study. The PI should not be encouraged to resubmit a proposal covering the core topic.

Clearly, this NSF reviewer cannot accept the fact that extremely significant
discoveries can be produced outside of academia. Following I have copied
one of the several outstanding discoveries that are in Proposal 1132890.

I think this is sensational. The procedure is to pressurize the apparatus to
about 6000 psi, apply a substantial heat flux in one step, and maintain that
heat flux as pressure is smoothly reduced over about 20 seconds, turn off
power at about 200 psi. Note the gradual increase in temperature as
pressure is reduced, then the upward jump of over 200 Centigrade at
around 3700 psi, followed by a smooth increase of another 100 Centigrade
to the critical pressure, then a smooth decrease of nearly 200 Centigrade,
then a downward jump of about 150 centigrade to the critical temperature.
At that point the subcritical boiling begins and continues until the power is
turned off. At the lowest heat flux there is a smooth continuous plot over the
entire pressure range with no intervening steps. The four plots at increasing
heat fluxes are neatly nested.

Innovation Deep Research

Technology Innovation. (Up to 500 words)

Why is this deep research?     Leyse has pioneered  the field of microscale phase change heat transfer to water at ultra-high power density with fine platinum wires, 7.5 μm diameter, that are joule heated in pressurized deionized water.  Each wire functions simultaneously as a heat transfer element and as a resistance thermometer as originated by Nukiyama (1934). These experiments cover the pressure range from 200 to 4000 PSIA and the heat flux range from very low to 4000 W/cm² while bulk water temperature is maintained in the range of 20 ^oC.  These investigations cover two separate situations: Case (i) constant pressure and varying power, and Case (ii) constant power and varying pressure.  Limited explorations reveal a significant impact of dissolved nitrogen (saturated) at 1000 PSIA   9^th Int. Conf. on Boiling and Condensation Heat Transfer, Boulder, CO, April, 2015.

Leyse’s work is truly pioneering although this field has decades of publications. Following is a from my GOOGLE search, “ Liquid Sublayer Dryout model was first developed by Lee and Mudawar (1988) based on common basic mechanisms such as the dryout of a liquid sublayer between and a blanketing vapor in the DNB-type CHF prediction the heated wall.”

Recent publications still focus on Mudawar’s modelling of phase change (boiling) heat transfer in larger dimensions. As one example of  several, Developing a Mathematical Model for Nucleate Boiling Regime at High Heat Flux,  11 October 2019, focuses on models of the boiling boundary that are well beyond Leyse’s regime of microscale phase change heat transfer.  Here is one phrase from the cited reference, “... macrolayer thicknesses of 50 µm and 150 µm”.  There has been no research or modelling in the realm of Leyse’s discoveries in the microscale arena.

Leyse proposes to expand his studies to cover a set of increasing microscale platinum wire diameters.  He has already reported extensive work with 7.5 µm elements and limited work with 12.5 µm elements.  The set of increasing diameters would range from 15 µm to 300 µm and this would thus include the dimensions of the Mudawar range.

Apparatus is visualized for determining the circulation patterns.  It will be assembled by watchmakers.  The assembly will consist of several platinum elements.  One element will be the heat transfer element while others will be resistance thermometers.  A series of runs will have the heat transfer source rotated among the elements.  Circulation patterns will be inferred via data analysis.   

Microscale process intensification may be explored.  At the very high heat fluxes there is intense turbulence in the vicinity of the microscale heat transfer element. A dilute solution of boric acid will decompose within the high temperature field to yield insoluble boric oxide. Some of the boron oxide will deposit on the hot element. There will be partial separation of isotopes, and the mix of deposited boron will be different than nature's blend.  Magnified viewing will explore the process and will yield significant discoveries even if isotope separation is not effected.

2. The Technical Objectives and Challenges. (Up to 500 words)

Leyse proposes to expand his studies to cover a set of increasing microscale platinum wire diameters.  He has already reported extensive work with 7.5 µm elements and limited work with 12.5 µm elements.  The set of increasing diameters will include 15, 30, 60, 120 and 300 μm.  Current research is focused well above the microscale range; this new data set will bridge the gap and yield data that will yield new discoveries as well as inspire modelling of microscale phase change heat transfer.  This in turn will inspire applications well beyond the current popular liquid sublayer dryout modeling.

Leyse’s work has been effective with millisecond recording.  With faster recording, particularly in runs near at the critical pressure, further insights will likely appear. That is the nature of research and development.  Another area for improvement is the maintaining of constant heat flux during runs at constant power and reducing pressure from 150 atmospheres to ambient pressure.

Leyse’s discoveries are in three areas of microscale heat transfer: runs at a series of constant pressures and increasing power, runs at a series of fixed powers and decreasing pressure, and a run at 1000 PSIA with dissolved nitrogen (saturated).  The runs at constant pressure, 200 to 6000 PSIA , have yielded data at heat fluxes up to 4000 watts per square centimeter (a record for pool boiling in water), a very informative transcritical run at 3000 PSIA, and other significant discoveries.  The runs a fixed powers and reducing pressure yielded a set of nested plots with interesting jumps and transitions.  The run with dissolved nitrogen led to Leyse US Patent 5,621,161.

The proposed runs at the set of increasing diameters will yield further discoveries.  Very importantly they will put an end to the domination of Mudavar’s liquid sublayer dryout modelling in boiling heat transfer.  This will open up the field of research and that will yield applications.

The broad area of Microscale Process Intensification is strongly attractive as research and development.  Harnessing the intense turbulence that accompanies the very high heat fluxes that are easily achieved is an interesting challenge.  Designing and constructing the apparatus for measuring the agitation will yield innovations; it is not inconceivable that there will be a market for this.  The classification of this turbulence via a set of microscale platinum sensors is new.  The proposal to investigate the thermal decomposition of boric acid and deposition on the platinum element is intriguing.  Even if isotope separation is not achieved, with the development of this process and the study of the decomposition with magnification is likely to yield discoveries that are beyond the range of anticipation; that is research and development!

3. The Market Opportunity. (Up to 250 words)                                                                      

This very definitely is a highly speculative set of activities with the potential for extremely high returns.  The internet is a vital tool in tracking the status of technology, identifying prospects and serving clients.  Leyse has demonstrated his effective use of the internet in Part 1 of this Project Pitch.

4. The Company and Team. (Up to 250 words)

INZ is currently a one man operation.  With the internet, a clever operator has highly expanded capabilities.  For example, California Fine Wire Company is an independent and vital resource.

email exchange with earlier Lienhard MIT

Subject:               Boiling on small wires

Date:     7/7/2020 8:11:52 AM Mountain Standard Time

From:    JHLienhard@Central.UH.EDU

To:          bobleyse@aol.com

Cc:          lienhard@mit.edu

Bob,

      This note did indeed find a circuitous route to the “earlier Lienhard.”   Thanks for taking the trouble to get it to me. 

       Your idea of suppressing the loss of nucleate boiling by pressurizing the system would be accurate.  What happens (as you know from Nanik Bakhru’s and my paper) is that the first bubble engulfs the wire.  That causes local burnout which then spreads into each neighboring bubble.   And no sustained nucleate boiling can endure. 

       Bubbles will be smaller at higher pressure, or, for that matter, at elevated gravity. So the matter of determining conditions at which nucleate boiling cannot occur becomes a matter of identifying, and putting to use, the correct scaling parameters.  The end of nucleate boiling will occur under different conditions, should you change the pressure (or gravity.) 

       In any case, it’s good to see someone looking into these matters.  Too many people ignore them.

               John (IV)

                

From: bobleyse@aol.com

To: GERVAISC@MIT.EDU
Sent: 7/6/2020 2:11:52 PM Mountain Standard Time
Subject: Please pass this on

Christine Gervais,

The following  likely relates to an earlier Lienhard, however, I would appreciate your drawing the following to the attention of the current J. H. Lienhard.  

 9th International Conference on Boiling and Condensation Heat Transfer 

MICROSCALE PHASE CHANGE HEAT TRANSFER TO WATER

Robert H. Leyse*

INZ Inc., P. O. Box 2850, Sun Valley, ID 83353

April 26-30, 2015 – Boulder, Colorado

bobleyse@aol.com

Bakhru and Lienhard4, 1972, asserted in their publication, BOILING FROM SMALL CYLINDERS, that, “Nucleate boiling does not occur on the small wires” and “Three modes of heat removal are identified for the monotonic curve and described analytically: a natural convection mode, a mixed film boiling and natural convection mode, and a pure film boiling mode.” However, although those wires are three to ten times the diameter of the 7.5 micron platinum wires of this work; this work clearly revealed nucleate boiling from the small wires. Balhru and Lienhard only performed experiments at low pressures; it would be a relatively easy experiment to deploy those wires at higher pressures in order to reveal a transition to nucleate boiling.

Bakhru, N. and Lienhard, J. H., Boiling from small cylinders, Int. J. Heat and Mass Transfer, vol. 15, pp. 2011-2025, 1972

Robert H. Leyse

Sun Valley, Idaho

INPO must release docs that are referenced in NRC licensing

Sent around March, 2020.

Leyse
P. O. Box 2850
Sun Valley, Idaho 83353

Robert F. Willard, CEO
Institute of Nuclear Power Operations
700 Galleria Parkway, SE, Suite 100
Atlanta, GA 30339-5943GalAAAAASleria Parkway, SE, Suite 100 700 Galleria Parkway, SE, Suite 100

Dear Robert F. Willard,

INPO should quietly shape up and release all of the INPO documents that are referenced in
https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML0815/ML081560316.pdf (NEDO-33262, Rev. 2). An informed
public enhances surveillance. Also release INPO Significant Event Report, SER 76-84.
40 years ago we had an unfortunate start for INPO; GOOGLE Lightning,NSAC and INPO.
Also GOOGLE: Lightning: INPO's Early Stumble; a Staggering Start.

Robert H. Leyse