interThermalPhaseChangeFoam—A framework for two-phase flow simulations with thermally driven phase change

The volume-of-fluid (VOF) approach is a mature technique for simulating two-phase flows. However, VOF simulation of phase-change heat transfer is still in its infancy. Multiple closure formulations have been proposed in the literature, each suited to different applications. While these have enabled...

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Main Authors: Mahdi Nabil, Alexander S. Rattner
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2016-01-01
Series:SoftwareX
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352711016300309
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author Mahdi Nabil
Alexander S. Rattner
author_facet Mahdi Nabil
Alexander S. Rattner
author_sort Mahdi Nabil
collection DOAJ
description The volume-of-fluid (VOF) approach is a mature technique for simulating two-phase flows. However, VOF simulation of phase-change heat transfer is still in its infancy. Multiple closure formulations have been proposed in the literature, each suited to different applications. While these have enabled significant research advances, few implementations are publicly available, actively maintained, or inter-operable. Here, a VOF solver is presented (interThermalPhaseChangeFoam), which incorporates an extensible framework for phase-change heat transfer modeling, enabling simulation of diverse phenomena in a single environment. The solver employs object oriented OpenFOAM library features, including Run-Time-Type-Identification to enable rapid implementation and run-time selection of phase change and surface tension force models. The solver is packaged with multiple phase change and surface tension closure models, adapted and refined from earlier studies. This code has previously been applied to study wavy film condensation, Taylor flow evaporation, nucleate boiling, and dropwise condensation. Tutorial cases are provided for simulation of horizontal film condensation, smooth and wavy falling film condensation, nucleate boiling, and bubble condensation. Validation and grid sensitivity studies, interfacial transport models, effects of spurious currents from surface tension models, effects of artificial heat transfer due to numerical factors, and parallel scaling performance are described in detail in the Supplemental Material (see Appendix A). By incorporating the framework and demonstration cases into a single environment, users can rapidly apply the solver to study phase-change processes of interest. Keywords: Phase change, Condensation, Evaporation, Volume of fluid
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spelling doaj.art-1608955623e0450587be78692c94de7b2022-12-21T18:38:57ZengElsevierSoftwareX2352-71102016-01-015216226interThermalPhaseChangeFoam—A framework for two-phase flow simulations with thermally driven phase changeMahdi Nabil0Alexander S. Rattner1Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, United StatesCorrespondence to: 236A Reber Building, University Park, PA, 16802, United States.; Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, United StatesThe volume-of-fluid (VOF) approach is a mature technique for simulating two-phase flows. However, VOF simulation of phase-change heat transfer is still in its infancy. Multiple closure formulations have been proposed in the literature, each suited to different applications. While these have enabled significant research advances, few implementations are publicly available, actively maintained, or inter-operable. Here, a VOF solver is presented (interThermalPhaseChangeFoam), which incorporates an extensible framework for phase-change heat transfer modeling, enabling simulation of diverse phenomena in a single environment. The solver employs object oriented OpenFOAM library features, including Run-Time-Type-Identification to enable rapid implementation and run-time selection of phase change and surface tension force models. The solver is packaged with multiple phase change and surface tension closure models, adapted and refined from earlier studies. This code has previously been applied to study wavy film condensation, Taylor flow evaporation, nucleate boiling, and dropwise condensation. Tutorial cases are provided for simulation of horizontal film condensation, smooth and wavy falling film condensation, nucleate boiling, and bubble condensation. Validation and grid sensitivity studies, interfacial transport models, effects of spurious currents from surface tension models, effects of artificial heat transfer due to numerical factors, and parallel scaling performance are described in detail in the Supplemental Material (see Appendix A). By incorporating the framework and demonstration cases into a single environment, users can rapidly apply the solver to study phase-change processes of interest. Keywords: Phase change, Condensation, Evaporation, Volume of fluidhttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352711016300309
spellingShingle Mahdi Nabil
Alexander S. Rattner
interThermalPhaseChangeFoam—A framework for two-phase flow simulations with thermally driven phase change
SoftwareX
title interThermalPhaseChangeFoam—A framework for two-phase flow simulations with thermally driven phase change
title_full interThermalPhaseChangeFoam—A framework for two-phase flow simulations with thermally driven phase change
title_fullStr interThermalPhaseChangeFoam—A framework for two-phase flow simulations with thermally driven phase change
title_full_unstemmed interThermalPhaseChangeFoam—A framework for two-phase flow simulations with thermally driven phase change
title_short interThermalPhaseChangeFoam—A framework for two-phase flow simulations with thermally driven phase change
title_sort interthermalphasechangefoam a framework for two phase flow simulations with thermally driven phase change
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352711016300309
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AT alexandersrattner interthermalphasechangefoamaframeworkfortwophaseflowsimulationswiththermallydrivenphasechange