Simulation of pool boiling and periodic bubble release at high density ratio using lattice Boltzmann method

In this article, simulation of periodic growth on and departure from a superheated wall of bubbles based on the multiphase lattice Boltzmann framework is presented. The model of Lee is used which is applicable to high density ratio of liquid-vapor phenomena. The phase change process is modeled by incorporating a proper source term at the phase interface and considering a typical convection-diffusion equation for the evaluation of the temperature field in the computational domain. The results of simulation were compared with the previous experimental results. Effects of density, gravity, surface tension, contact angle and the temperature of superheated wall on bubble departure diameter are investigated. Also, effects of density ratio, gravity and wall temperature on the frequency of bubble release are illustrated. Finally temperature profiles, flow fields and the three-phase contact line movement of the vapor bubble during nucleate boiling are analyzed. In this simulation, the bubble temperature is assumed not to be constant which is consistent with experimental results. Effects of density ratio up to 1000 on bubble departure diameter and frequency of bubble release are analyzed, which previous LB simulations were unable to analyze. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.