scholarly journals Numerical simulation of superheated jets using an Eulerian method.

Author(s):  
Konstantinos Lyras ◽  
Siaka Dembele ◽  
C. Madhav Rao Vendra ◽  
Jennifer Wen

Flash boiling is the rapid phase change of a pressurised fluid that emerges in ambient conditions below its vapourpressure. Flashing can occur either inside or outside the nozzle depending on the local pressure and geometry and the bubble formation leads to interfacial interactions that eventually influence the emerging spray. Lagrangian methods which exist in literature to simulate the flash atomisation and inter-phase heat transfer employ many sim- plifying assumptions. Typically, sub-models used for the break-up, collisions and evaporation introduce an extensive empiricism that might result in unrealistic predictions for cases like flashing. In this study, a fully Eulerian approach is selected employing the Σ − Y model proposed by Vallet and Borghi. The model tracks liquid structures of any shape and computes the spray characteristics comprising a modified version for the transport equation of the sur- face density. The main goal of this study is to investigate the performance of this model in flash boiling liquids using the Homogeneous Relaxation Model (HRM) developed by Downar-Zapolski, a model capable of capturing the heat transfer under sudden depressurisation conditions accounting for the non-equilibrium vapour generation. The model in this present study considers that the instantaneous quality would relax to the equilibrium value over a given timescale which is calculated using the flow field values. A segregated approach linking the HRM and Σ − Y is implemented in a compressible formulation in an attempt to quantify the effects of flash boiling in the spray dynamics. The developed model is naturally implemented in RANS in a dedicated solver HRMSonicELSAFoam. Results from simulations of two-phase jets of different subcooled fluids through sharp-edged orifices show that the proposed approach can accurately simulate the primary atomisation and give reliable predictions for the droplet sizes and distribution. Strong effects of the flashing and turbulent mixing on the jet are demonstrated. The model istested for turbulent flows within small nozzles and was developed within the open source code OpenFOAM.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4995/ILASS2017.2017.4667

Author(s):  
Jostein Pettersen

Carbon dioxide (CO2 / R-744) is receiving renewed interest as a refrigerant, in many cases based on systems with microchannel heat exchangers that have high pressure capability, efficient heat transfer, and compact design. A good understanding of two-phase flow of evaporating CO2 in microchannels is needed to analyze and predict heat transfer. A special test rig was built in order to observe two-phase flow patterns, using a horizontal quartz glass tube with ID 0.98 mm, externally coated by a transparent resistive film. Heat flux was obtained by applying DC power to the film, and flow patterns were recorded at 4000 or 8000 frames per second by a digital video camera. Flow patterns were recorded for temperatures 20°C and 0°C, and for mass flux ranging from 100 to 580 kgm−2s−1. The observations showed a dominance of intermittent (slug) flow at low x, and wavy annular flow with entrainment of droplets at higher x. At high mass flux, the annular/entrained flow pattern could be described as dispersed. The aggravated dryout problem reported from heat transfer experiments at high mass flux could be explained by increased entrainment. Stratified flow was not observed in the tests with heat load. Bubble formation and growth could be observed in the liquid film, and the presence of bubbles gave differences in flow pattern compared to adiabatic flow. The flow pattern observations did not fit generalized maps or transition lines showed in the literature.


Author(s):  
Hector Mendoza ◽  
Van P. Carey

Condensation is a physical process that occurs when a vapor is cooled and/or compressed to its saturation limit. Condensation becomes important in a variety of engineering applications such as in heat exchangers used for distillation purposes. In such instances, higher condensation efficiencies are desirable. Research to improve condensation has focused on dropwise condensation as it has been shown that it can be significantly more efficient than filmwise condensation. Recent investigations of dropwise condensation on nanostructured surfaces suggest that enhanced dropwise condensation can be attained as the average droplet sizes are reduced for clusters growing through dropwise condensation. This, in turn, significantly enhances the heat transfer coefficients of dropwise condensation. This paper summarizes a computational model developed to explore the mechanisms leading to this enhanced dropwise condensation. A Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) approach is used here to investigate the mechanisms and limitations of enhanced dropwise condensation for these surfaces aiming to reduce the average droplet sizes of condensation. For computational purposes, several idealizations are assumed by the model, which include: (1) The condensation droplet clusters are assumed to have uniform size, corresponding to an average droplet size observed in actual dropwise condensation scenarios; (2) Due to the assumed uniform droplet distribution, symmetry can be observed from the droplet cluster, so a small but symmetrical cross section of the droplet distribution is used for the computational domain; and (3) Supersaturated steam condensing on a cold wall is assumed for most of the simulations. The mechanisms at play that are deliberately explored are: (1) The effects of surface wettability by using a model that considers droplet conduction variations with varying contact angle; (2) The changes of interfacial resistance with droplet curvature by introducing a surface tension model based on the Tolman length; and (3) The dynamic interactions between neighboring droplets by choosing our computational domain to be a symmetrical cross section that encompasses surrounding droplets in an appropriate fashion. The ambient conditions that were investigated were: (1) Varying atmospheric pressure; (2) Varying amounts of wall subcooling for the droplets; (3) Varying accommodation for water molecules condensing on the droplet; and (4) The introduction of air into the assumed supersaturated steam condensing on the cold wall. To investigate the overall and combined effects of the aforementioned mechanisms on enhanced dropwise condensation through reduced droplet sizes, the simulations were run for droplets with radii between 1 micrometer down to 5 nanometers. The model predictions indicate that the larger droplet transport trend of increasing heat transfer with decreasing droplet sizes breaks down as droplet sizes become smaller due to more prominence of the mechanisms hindering condensation for the reduced droplet sizes. As the model breaks down, a peak heat transfer is reached, and heat transfer is further reduced as the average droplet sizes continue to decrease. The predictions of this particular DSMC model are compared to previous work investigating similar effects. The implications of our observations and potential impact to current and future research in the area is discussed in detail.


Author(s):  
S. M. Mortuza ◽  
Stephen P. Gent ◽  
Anil Kommareddy ◽  
Gary A. Anderson

The goal of this research is to investigate heat transfer effects of two phase gas-liquid flows in a column photobioreactor (PBR) experimentally as well as computationally using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The authors have completed a preliminary study on bubble formation, rise and resulting circulation patterns using lab-scale experiments and CFD simulations. This study extends on this previous work by investigating the relationships of bubble drag coefficient and bubble Reynolds number with superficial gas velocity and a study of heat transfer within the PBR. It is hypothesized that a greater understanding the bubble movement patterns will aid in predicting heat transfer rates within the PBR. Dispersed gas–liquid flow in the rectangular column PBR are modeled using the Eulerian–Lagrangian approach. The heat transfer process has been considered for the case of a steady state three dimensional PBR. A low Reynolds number k–epsilon CFD model is used for the description of flow pattern near the wall. The velocity profiles and eddy diffusivity obtained by the model are utilized to predict heat transfer coefficients for different superficial gas velocities. The information on heat transfer effects between cooling or heating surfaces and a gas-liquid dispersed bed is essential for designing a PBR. Carbon dioxide, which is necessary for photosynthetic microalgae growth, is added to the system. Bubble size distribution measurements are carried out using a high-speed digital camera. The main interaction forces, i.e. the drag force, the added mass force, and lift force are considered. Heat transfer and internal hydrodynamics of a column reactor are studied and the numerical simulations results are presented for heat transfer and hydrodynamics in column PBRs. The results are validated with experimental data and with data from current literature.


1980 ◽  
Vol 102 (3) ◽  
pp. 501-507 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. F. Delale

A theoretical post-dryout heat transfer model is developed based on one-dimensional two-phase dispersed flow and is applied to calculate the wall temperatures in the post-CHF regime. The model is also applied to reason the existence of a lower bound for average droplet diameter in two-phase dispersed flow. Results obtained using data by Bennett, et al. show lower droplet sizes than the experimentally measured values.


2012 ◽  
Vol 134 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
T. P. Lagus ◽  
F. A. Kulacki

Heat transfer coefficients and bubble motion characteristics are reported for two-phase water flow in an array of 13 equally spaced microchannels over an area of 1 cm2. Each channel has Dh = 451 ± 38 μm, W/H = 0.8, and L/Dh = 22.2. Uniform heat flux is applied through the base, and wall temperatures are determined from the thermocouple readings corrected for heat conduction effects. The upper surface is insulated and transparent. Single-phase heat transfer coefficients are in a good agreement with comparable trends of existing correlations for developing flow and heat transfer, although a difference is seen due to the insulated upper surface. Two-phase heat transfer coefficients and flow characteristics are determined for 221 < G < 466 kg/m2s and 250 < q < 1780 kW/m2. Heat transfer coefficients normalized with mass flux exhibit a trend comparable to that of available studies that use similar thermal boundary conditions. Flow visualization shows expanding vapor slug flow as the primary flow regime with nucleation and bubbly flow as the precursors. Analysis of bubble dynamics reveals ∼t1/3 dependence for bubble growth. Flow reversal is observed and quantified, and different speeds of the vapor phase fronts are quantified at the leading and trailing edges of vapor slugs once the bubble diameter equals the channel width. Bubble formation, growth, coalescence, and detachment at the outlet of the array are best characterized by the Weber number.


Author(s):  
V.N. Moraru

The results of our work and a number of foreign studies indicate that the sharp increase in the heat transfer parameters (specific heat flux q and heat transfer coefficient _) at the boiling of nanofluids as compared to the base liquid (water) is due not only and not so much to the increase of the thermal conductivity of the nanofluids, but an intensification of the boiling process caused by a change in the state of the heating surface, its topological and chemical properties (porosity, roughness, wettability). The latter leads to a change in the internal characteristics of the boiling process and the average temperature of the superheated liquid layer. This circumstance makes it possible, on the basis of physical models of the liquids boiling and taking into account the parameters of the surface state (temperature, pressure) and properties of the coolant (the density and heat capacity of the liquid, the specific heat of vaporization and the heat capacity of the vapor), and also the internal characteristics of the boiling of liquids, to calculate the value of specific heat flux q. In this paper, the difference in the mechanisms of heat transfer during the boiling of single-phase (water) and two-phase nanofluids has been studied and a quantitative estimate of the q values for the boiling of the nanofluid is carried out based on the internal characteristics of the boiling process. The satisfactory agreement of the calculated values with the experimental data is a confirmation that the key factor in the growth of the heat transfer intensity at the boiling of nanofluids is indeed a change in the nature and microrelief of the heating surface. Bibl. 20, Fig. 9, Tab. 2.


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