Development and application of a dimensional lattice Boltzmann method to simulate the pool boiling phenomenon

Resumo

The boiling phenomenon is a hot topic in the scientific community due to its important applicability in refrigerating systems and power generation plants. Consequently, the ability of simulating this process is of great importance for the researches. Recently the authors have proposed a phase-field lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) for simulating the thermal liquid-gas phase change phenomenon. This method is based on the dimensional approach of the LBM, also proposed by the authors, which allows the simulation to be performed directly using physical units, without the necessity of conversion to lattice units. This procedure makes easier the direct consideration of the real properties of the working fluid. To validate the method, a single bubble of saturated HFE7100 is simulated and the results are compared with experimental data , also obtained by the authors. The comparison covers both geometrical features of the bubble, as shape, equivalent radius, bubble volume, dry radius and apparent contact angle, as well as the forces acting on the bubble (buoyancy, contact pressure, surface tension and dynamic forces). This validation test evidenced the good capability of the proposed LBM for dealing with the boiling phenomenon, as the simulations presented a very good accuracy.