Impingement Heat Transfer of Free-Surface Liquid Jets
The problem of convective heat transfer of a circular liquid jet impinging onto a substrate is studied numerically. The objective of the study is to understand the hydrodynamics and heat transfer of the impingement process. The Navier-Stokes equations are solved using a finite-volume formulation. The free surface of the jet is tracked by the volume-of-fluid method. The energy equation is modeled by using an enthalpy-based formulation. Detailed flow fields as well as free surface contours and pressure distributions on the substrate have been obtained. Local Nusselt number variations along the solid surface have also been calculated. The effects of several key parameters on the hydrodynamics and heat transfer of an impinging liquid jet have been examined. It has been found that the jet-inlet velocity profile and jet elevation have a significant effect on the hydrodynamics and heat transfer, particularly in the stagnation region, of an impinging jet. The numerical results have been compared with experimental data obtained from the literature. The close agreement supports the validity of the numerical study.