Boiling of Argon flow in a microchannel by considering the spherical geometry for roughness barriers using molecular dynamics simulation

In this research, the method of molecular dynamic (MD) is used to consider the influences of the spherical roughness barrier on the boiling flow regime of Argon particles, flowing into microchannel with a square cross-section. To prepare boiling conditions, different constant temperatures from 84 K to 133 K are applied on the walls of microchannels. Results show that roughness elements help boiling thermal forces to the distribution of fluid atoms in central layers of a microchannel, especially at high time steps between 750,000 and 1,000,000. This phenomenon is noticeable under applied high wall temperatures of 114 K and 133 K. Also, a summation of velocity values indicated that increasing boundary wall temperatures of rough microchannels results in a small reduction of the velocity of fluid flow, whereas; it is almost unchanged in the smooth microchannel.The statistical approach shows that the presence of spherical roughness does not have a destructive influence on the boiling flow properties of Argon into the microchannel. Also, they are useful to enhance effective surfaces of heat transfer, which empower the boiling process. Therefore, investing in polishing microchannel surfaces and removing the spherical shape of roughness components can even be a serious mistake for some of the practical applications. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Roughness elements aid in distributing boiling thermal forces to fluid atoms in central layers of microchannels, particularly at high time steps, and higher wall temperatures lead to a slight decrease in velocity but do not disrupt the boiling flow properties of Argon.