Numerical Study of Bubble Motion During Nucleate Boiling on a Micro-Finned Surface

Abstract

Numerical simulation is performed for nucleate boiling on a micro-finned surface, which has been widely used to enhance heat transfer, by solving the equations governing the conservation of mass, momentum, and energy in the liquid and vapor phases. The bubble motion is determined by a sharp-interface level-set method, which is modified to include the effect of phase change and to treat the no-slip and contact-angle conditions, as well as the evaporative heat flux from the liquid microlayer on immersed solid surfaces such as micro fins and cavities. The numerical results for bubble formation, growth, and departure on a microstructured surface including fins and cavities show that the bubble behavior during nucleate boiling is significantly influenced by the fin-cavity arrangement and the fin-fin spacing.