Two-phase heat transfer on an isothermal vertical surface: a numerical simulation

The present work is aimed at studying the two-phase heat transfer, concerning the film boiling process on an isothermal vertical surface, through the bubble growth mechanism by a numerical simulation of the evolution of the vapor–liquid interface. The interface is captured by a level set method, which is modified to include the liquid–vapor phase change effect. The phase change effect and mass transfer at the interface have been considered in the continuity equation. Also, the gravity and surface tension effects have been taken into account in the momentum equation. The fluid flow adjacent to the hot surface was assumed as laminar, unsteady and two-dimensional. The governing continuity, momentum and energy equations, which include the spatial and temporal changes, and also the interface evolution equation, have been solved by a finite difference numerical method, which has implemented the TDMA algorithm and the projection method. Then, the velocity and temperature fields and also the interface location have been computed. The present numerical results are compared with the available experimental data and with the analytical predictions, which have showed to be in reasonable agreements.