Numerical Simulation of Single Bubble Dynamics During Pool and Flow Boiling Conditions

Author(s):  
Adam Becker ◽  
Marek Kapitz ◽  
Stefan aus der Wiesche

Complete three-dimensional numerical simulations of single bubble dynamics under pool and flow boiling conditions are carried out using the CFD code FLOW3D© based on the volume-of-fluid (VOF) method. The analyses include a numerically robust kinetic phase change model and transient wall heat conduction. The simulation approach is calibrated by comparison with available experimental and theoretical data. It is found that the observed hydrodynamics (i.e. bubble shape, departure, and deformation) are simulated very well. The comparison with high-resolution transient temperature measurements during a heating foil experiment indicates that modeling of the spatio-temporal heat sink distribution during bubble growth requires major attention. The simulation tool is employed for single bubble dynamics during flow boiling, and the agreement is excellent with published experimental data. The numerical results indicate how bulk flow velocity and wall heat transfer influence the bubble and heat transfer characteristics.

2007 ◽  
Vol 129 (7) ◽  
pp. 864-876 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ding Li ◽  
Vijay K. Dhir

Three-dimensional numerical simulation of single bubble dynamics during nucleate flow boiling is performed in this work. The range of bulk liquid velocities investigated is from 0.076to0.23m∕s. The surface orientations at earth normal gravity are varied from an upward facing horizontal surface to vertical through 30, 45, and 60deg. The gravity levels on an upward facing horizontal surface are varied from 1.0ge to 0.0001ge. Continuity, momentum, and energy equations are solved by finite difference method and the level set method is used to capture the liquid-vapor interface. Heat transfer within the liquid micro layer is included in this model. The numerical results have been compared with data from experiments. The results show that the bulk flow velocity, heater surface orientation, and gravity levels influence the bubble dynamics.


Author(s):  
Ding Li ◽  
Vijay K. Dhir

Nucleate flow boiling is a liquid-vapor phase-change process associated with high heat transfer rates. A complete 3D numerical simulation of single bubble dynamics on surfaces inclined at 90°, 45° and 30° to the horizontal line and subjected to forced flow parallel to the surface is performed in this work. The continuity, momentum and energy equations are solved with finite difference method and the level-set method is used to capture the liquid-vapor interface. The heat transfer contribution of the micro-layer between the solid wall and evolving liquid-vapor interface is included in this numerical analysis. The effect of dynamic contact angle is also included. The numerical result of bubble growth and sliding distance have been compared with experimental data.


2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vedanth Srinivasan ◽  
Rok Kopun

In this paper, we discuss the implementation and testing of a novel boiling mass transfer model to simulate the thermal and phase transformation behavior, generated due to boiling of binary mixtures, using the commercial CFD code AVL FIRE® v2011. The phase change model, based on detailed bubble dynamics effects, is solved in conjunction with incompressible phasic momentum, turbulence and energy equations in a segregated fashion, to study the flow boiling process inside a rectangular duct. Full three dimensional validation studies including the effect of flow velocity and exit pressure conditions, acting on a wide range of operating wall (superheat) temperatures, clearly shows the suppression of heat and mass transfer coefficients with enhancement in flow convection. Competing mechanisms such as phase change process and turbulent convection are identified to influence the heat transfer characteristics. In particular, the varying influence of the mass transfer effects on the heat flux characteristics with alteration in wall temperature is well demonstrated. Comparisons of the predicted total heat flux, computed as the sum of the convection and phase change components, indicate a very good agreement with experimental data, wherever available. Description of the flow field inclusive of phasic fraction, temperature and velocity field provides extensive details of the multiphase behavior of the boiling flow. Some preliminary results on the phase change work flow to model heat transfer in cooling jackets, for automotive applications, is also discussed.


Author(s):  
Shyamkumar P.I. ◽  
Suneet Singh ◽  
Atul Srivastava ◽  
Milan Visaria

Abstract An efficient thermal management system is desirable for improving the performance of key components of electric vehicle (EV), such as battery packs and Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs). This paper investigates the application of single bubble nucleate boiling heat transfer in battery and IGBT component cooling pack. A semi mechanistic flow boiling model, which combines four main sub-models i.e. phase change model, micro-region model, Marangoni model, and contact angle model is developed to get the insight of various subprocesses like bubble inception, growth, departure, scavenging effect while the bubble departs and condensation. For model validation, simulations are carried out for single bubble flow boiling in a vertical rectangular channel and compared against the experimental data available in the literature. Thereafter, simulations are carried out for the battery and IGBT cooling pack to understand the physical phenomena associated with nucleate boiling in such systems. The choice of a single vapor bubble vis-à-vis multiple bubbles has been based on the objective of validating the developed numerical model. An enhancement of ∼30% in heat transfer is achieved for both battery and IGBT components when the system is subjected to a nucleate boiling cooling regime as compared to a conventional single-phase convection cooling system. Nusselt number variation due to the single bubble movement along the coolant path is studied in detail for both serpentine-shaped cooling path in a battery and straight flow path in an IGBT. Moreover, the influence of Reynolds number over bubble dynamics is analyzed.


Author(s):  
Emilio Baglietto ◽  
Etienne Demarly ◽  
Ravikishore Kommajosyula

Advancement in the experimental techniques have brought new insights into the microscale boiling phenomena, and provide the base for a new physical interpretation of flow boiling heat transfer. A new modeling framework in Computational Fluid Dynamics has been assembled at MIT, and aims at introducing all necessary mechanisms, and explicitly tracks: (1) the size and dynamics of the bubbles on the surface; (2) the amount of microlayer and dry area under each bubble; (3) the amount of surface area influenced by sliding bubbles; (4) the quenching of the boiling surface following a bubble departure and (5) the statistical bubble interaction on the surface. The preliminary assessment of the new framework is used to further extend the portability of the model through an improved formulation of the force balance models for bubble departure and lift-off. Starting from this improved representation at the wall, the work concentrates on the bubble dynamics and dry spot quantification on the heated surface, which governs the Critical Heat Flux (CHF) limit. A new proposition is brought forward, where Critical Heat Flux is a natural limiting condition for the heat flux partitioning on the boiling surface. The first principle based CHF is qualitatively demonstrated, and has the potential to deliver a radically new simulation technique to support the design of advanced heat transfer systems.


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