Lattice boltzmann simulation of boiling heat transfer in a shear flow

Abstract

In this work a two-phase lattice Boltzmann method was used to numerically study the behavior of liquid-vapor phase change induced by a heated plate under the action of shearing. The effects of the action of shearing on the bubble growth and departure were investigated in terms of the flow features, the average heat flux and the bubble releasing period. It is shown that the shear flow significantly enhances the heat transfer of the system in two respects: increasing the average heat flux and decreasing the bubble releasing period. The effects of the intensity of the shear flow and the gravity force on the bubble releasing period were examined as well. The most striking finding is that there exists a sudden jump in the period at a critical shear intensity of the flow. The reason behind this abnormal behavior is that the residual part of bubble is nearly condensed after the bulk of bubble departs from the heated plate.