Interaction of the transfer processes in semitransparent liquid droplets

The study presents the mathematical model of unsteady heat transfer in evaporating semitransparent droplets of non-isothermal initial state and the numerical research method, evaluating selective radiation absorption and its influence on the interaction of transfer processes. The relation of the transfer processes inside droplets and in their surroundings and the necessity of thorough research of these processes are substantiated. When modeling the combined energy transfer in water droplets, the evaluation of thermoconvective stability in evaporating semitransparent liquid droplets is presented; the influence of the droplet initial state on its heating and evaporation process is investigated. The influence of heat transfer peculiarities on the change of the evaporating droplet state is indicated. Main parameters, which decide the peculiarities of the interaction of unsteady transfer processes in droplets and their surroundings, are discussed. The results of the numerical research are compared to the known results of the experimental studies of water droplet temperature and evaporation rate.     

Evaporation and condensing augmentation of water droplets in flue gas

The unsteady heat and mass transfer of sprayed water in the flue gas is modelled according to the iterative method of numerical research. The complex “droplet problem” covers the analysis of combined energy transfer in a semitransparent droplet, also combined heating and evaporation of the droplet. The surface temperature of the evaporating droplet is determined, at which the balance of energy fluxes taken to the surface and taken from the surface is reached. The thermal state mode of an evaporating droplet depends on the way of droplet heating as well. The change of thermal state and phase transformations parameters of water droplets warming in flue gas is analysed in the universal time scale. The initial evaluation of heat energy accumulated in exhaust flue gas utilization by water injection is presented.     

固着液滴蒸发研究进展及展望

固着液滴是指附着于壁面上的液滴,其蒸发行为及传热传质特性是喷雾冷却、喷墨打印等相变传热传质领域的基础问题之一。文中重点针对固着液滴蒸发过程所涉及的自身形态演变规律、气液固三相耦合传热/传质/流动特性进行了综述。结合毫微尺度固着液滴基本蒸发模式、热质传递形式、气液两相流动特征和界面输运行为,分析了液滴性质、壁面条件、气相环境条件等关键因素对固着液滴蒸发过程的内在作用机制和影响规律,提出了微纳尺度固着液滴（群）热质传递过程与机理的相关研究展望。     

Analysis of evaporating mist flow for enhanced convective heat transfer

Enhancement of forced convective heat transport through the use of evaporating mist flow is investigated analytically and by numerical simulation. A two-phase mist, consisting of finely dispersed water droplets in an airstream, is introduced at the inlet of a longitudinally-finned heat sink. The latent heat absorbed by the evaporating droplets significantly reduces the sensible heating of the air inside the heat sink which translates into higher heat-dissipation capacities. The flow and heat transfer characteristics of mist flows are studied through a detailed numerical analysis of the mass, momentum and energy transport equations for the mist droplets and the airstream, which are treated as two separate phases. The coupling between the two phases is modeled through interaction terms in the transport equations. The effects of inlet mist droplet size and concentration on the thermal performance of the heat sink are analyzed parametrically. The results provide insight into the complex transport processes associated with mist flows. The simulations indicate that significantly higher heat transfer coefficients are obtained with mist flows as compared to air flows, highlighting the potential for the use of mist flows for enhanced thermal management applications.     

The peculiarities of hot liquid droplets heating and evaporation

The change of the thermal state of a sprayed liquid droplet is calculated using the method of combined analytical and numerical research, which requires the balance of energy flows, incoming to the droplet and outgoing from it. The method evaluates unsteadiness of heat and mass transfer processes and interaction, which occurs under the influence of the Stefan’s hydrodynamic flow, radiant flow absorbed in semitransparent liquid and the Knudsen layer, which surrounds the droplets. The expedience of the thermal state’s evaluation of dispersed liquid is verified using the parameter, expressed by the ratio of liquid’s initial temperature on equilibrium evaporation temperature of droplets. As the above-mentioned parameter is less than 1, liquid is offered to be called “cold”; “warm”, as the parameter equals 1 and “hot”, as it exceeds 1. In each case the peculiarities of the thermal state change of sprayed liquid droplets are individual during an unsteady phase transformation mode. The characteristic curves, representing the change of transfer parameters, are determined for conductively heated droplets and when the Knudsen layer’s influence is neglected. These curves join together variation of the parameters of the thermal state change and phase transformation for droplets of infinitesimal set of diameters, but with the same initial liquid temperature, as the droplets evaporate in gas with constant parameters. Deviations from the characteristic curves allow evaluating the influence of more complicated boundary conditions on the interaction of transfer processes.     

Numerical prediction of airfoil characteristics in a transonic droplet-laden air flow

A transonic airfoil moving in an air–water droplet two-phase flow is investigated numerically to study the effect of droplet size and volume fraction. The droplets we consider are in the size 1–100 μm and the volume fraction is in 0.01%–10%. A compressible two-fluid model is solved by the WAF-HLL scheme developed earlier by the authors which includes drag force, heat transfer, phase change, and droplet fragmentation of the droplets. The numerical results show that the droplet breakup layer can be extended to a later distance as large as about 60% of a chord length at the trailing edge. Also the droplets have made the shock wave dissolved in compression waves and the airfoil performance seriously deteriorated.     

Numerical investigation on the evaporation of droplets depositing on heated surfaces at low Weber numbers

The evaporation of water droplets, impinging with low Weber number and gently depositing on heated surfaces of stainless steel is studied numerically using a combination of fluid flow and heat transfer models. The coupled problem of heat transfer between the surrounding air, the droplet and the wall together with the liquid vaporisation from the droplet’s free surface is predicted using a modified VOF methodology accounting for phase-change and variable liquid properties. The surface cooling during droplet’s evaporation is predicted by solving simultaneously with the fluid flow and heat transfer equations, the heat conduction equation within the solid wall. The droplet’s evaporation rate is predicted using a model from the kinetic theory of gases coupled with the Spalding mass transfer model, for different initial contact angles and substrate’s temperatures, which have been varied between 20–90° and 60–100 °C, respectively. Additionally, results from a simplified and computationally less demanding simulation methodology, accounting only for the heat transfer and vaporisation processes using a time-dependent but pre-described droplet shape while neglecting fluid flow are compared with those from the full solution. The numerical results are compared against experiments for the droplet volume regression, life time and droplet shape change, showing a good agreement.     

正丁醇水溶液液滴的蒸发特性实验研究

自湿润流体是一种具有特殊的表面张力特性的二元流体,了解其蒸发传热特性对于揭示其强化传热机理十分重要.为了探究添加自湿润流体液滴的蒸发特性,采用液滴形状分析仪(DSA100)研究了不同温度(30、40、50、60℃)下铜底板上去离子水、正丁醇水溶液(质量分数为0.5％)液滴的蒸发特性.结果 表明:加入少量正丁醇溶液并不影...     

Experimental and theoretical studies on air humidification by a water spray at elevated pressure

Humidification of compressed air is important for humid air turbine cycle. In this paper, theoretical and experimental investigations are carried out to analyze and predict the humidification process in spray tower.For predicting the heat and mass transfer in the water droplet–air two-phase flow, a one-dimensional numerical model simulating the conservation of heat and mass of water and humid air was developed. The model considers the effect of droplet motion on the heat and mass transfer. Experimental data were obtained on a pressurized model spray tower at different pressures and water/air ratios, which had been adopted to validate the numerical model. Droplet diameter of the spray was measured and these data were used in the model. Predictions of outlet conditions of air and water for giving input conditions agree well with experimental data, which produces a maximal error of 7.3%. On the basis of the model, distributions of droplet velocity and volumetric heat transfer coefficient over height of the tower are predicted. The effect of droplet diameter on the characteristic performance of spray humidifier is also analyzed in the simulation.     

Comparison of measured and modelled droplet–hot wall interactions

In this study CFD simulations of both sessile droplets resting upon a vapour cushion and droplets bouncing off a hot solid surface are presented. As a droplet approaches a hot surface the vapour layer formed by evaporation from the droplet acts like a cushion and can prevent contact between the liquid and the hot surface. Rather than hitting and wetting the surface, the droplet can rebound from the vapour film. For the tracking of the interface between the two fluids a one-fluid Level Set method is used, embodied in the TransAT^© finite-volume two-phase flow computational code. Inter alia, this incorporates a full Navier–Stokes solution in the region of the thin film. The method is used to analyse the experiments conducted by Wachters et al. [L.H.J. Wachters, H. Bonne, H.J. Van Nouhuis, The heat transfer from a horizontal plate to sessile water drops in the spheroidal state, Chemical Engineering Science 21 (1966) 923–936] and Biance et al. [A.-L. Biance, F. Checy, C. Clanet, G. Lagubeau, D. Quere, On the elasticity of an inertial liquid shock, Journal of Fluid Mechanics 554 (2006) 47–66]. Good agreement with the experimental observations is obtained.     

Comparative Investigation on Droplet Evaporation Models for Modeling Spray in Cross-Flow

The coupling model of flow and heat and mass transfer for gas-spray droplet two-phase flow has been developed to simulate the evaporating spray in cross-flow. The correlations used for describing the droplet evaporation and motion in convective flow have been compared. The comparisons of calculated results show that the different correlations for determining Nusselt number and Sherwood number impose a significant influence on the lifetime of droplet. The modification of Nusselt number and Sherwood number with regard to the heat and mass boundary around the droplet is of great importance, while different mixing laws for mixture properties and different drag coefficient equations only demonstrate a slight effect on the evaporation characteristics of droplet. The characteristics of spray droplets and cross-flow in terms of both evaporation and motion are obtained. The secondary flow phenomenon is observed in the simulation results and contributes to achieving a more even distribution of temperature and an improved mixing effect of the vapor and cross-flow.     

Numerical simulation of water and heat transport in the cathode channel of a PEM fuel cell

Cathode channel of a PEM fuel cell is the critical domain for the transport of water and heat. In this study, a mathematical model of water and heat transport in the cathode channel is established by considering two-phase flow of water and air as well as the phase change between water and vapor. The transport process of the species of air is governed by the convection-diffusion equation. The VOSET (coupled volume-of-fluid and level set method) method is used to track the interface between air and water, and the phase equilibrium method of water and vapor is employed to calculate the mass transfer rate on the two-phase interface. The present model is validated against the results in the literature, then applied to investigate the characteristics of two-phase flow and heat transfer in the cathode channel. The results indicate that in the inlet section, water droplets experience three evolution stages: the growing stage, the coalescence stage and the generation stage of dispersed water drops. However, in the middle and outlet sections of the channel, there are only two stages: the growth of water droplets, and the formation of a water film. The mass transfer rate of phase change in the inlet section of the channel varies over time, exhibiting an initial increase, a decrease followed, and a stabilization finally, with the maximum and stable values of 1.78 × 10^?4 kg/s and 1.52 × 10^?4 kg/s for Part 1, respectively. In the middle and outlet sections, the mass transfer rate increase firstly and then keeps stable gradually. Furthermore, regarding the distribution of the temperature and vapor mass fraction in the channel, near the upper surface of the channel, the temperature and vapor mass fraction first change slightly (x < 0.03 m) and then rapidly decrease with fluctuations (x > 0.03 m). In the middle of the channel, the temperature and vapor mass fraction slowly decrease with fluctuation.     

转炉高温烟气除尘文氏管喷淋降温流动与传热性能分析

文氏管内部的流动与传热较为复杂,不仅涉及喷淋液滴与烟气在流动过程中的相互作用,而且涉及喷淋液滴遇到高温烟气发生相变进行的传热传质。视烟气为连续相,喷射液滴为离散相,考虑连续相与离散相在质量、动量和能量的相互作用,建立了转炉烟气文氏管喷淋降温三维瞬态数学模型。通过数值模拟,获得了文氏管内部压力、温度、速度和水蒸气摩尔分数分布,得到了不同烟气量、不同喷射水量条件下,文氏管压力损失和出口温度与挡板开度之间的关系。     

Study on water transport in PEM of a direct methanol fuel cell

Water transport phenomenon in PEM and the mechanism of occurrence and development of a two-phase countercurrent flow with corresponding transport phenomenon in the PEM are analyzed. A one-dimensional steady state model of heat and mass transfer in porous media system with internal volumetric ohmic heating is developed and simulated numerically. The results show that two dimensionless parameters D and N, which reflect the liquid water flow rate and inner heat source in the PEM, respectively, are the most important factors for the water fraction and thermal balance in the PEM. The saturation profiles within the two-phase region at various operating modes are obtained. Smaller mass flow rate of liquid water and high current density are the major contributions to the membrane dehydration.     

Numerical simulation of counter-flow spray saturator for humid air turbine cycle

The numerical simulations of simultaneous heat and mass transfer process in the counter-flow spray saturator and humid air turbine cycle are carried out in this work, according to the experimental conditions and actual size of a prototype saturator. This humidifying process involves two-phase flow of air and water droplets, also including interaction, breakup and collision of water droplets. Eulerian approach is used for gas phase flow, Lagrangian approach is used for liquid phase flow, and the two-way coupling is used between two phases. The simulations agree well with the experimental measurements. The simulations show the flow is with high turbulence intensity, the relative humidity and temperature of humid air increase along with the height of saturator, some water droplets carried by air escape from the saturator, and the humid air is mainly humidified at the lower part of saturator and is simultaneously humidified and heated at the upper part.     

Interacting effects of uniform flow, plane shear, and near-wall proximity on the heat and mass transfer of respiratory aerosols

Individual and interacting effects of uniform flow, plane shear, and near-wall proximity on spherical droplet heat and mass transfer have been assessed for low Reynolds number conditions beyond the creeping flow regime. Validated resolved volume simulations were used to compute heat and mass transfer surface gradients of two-dimensional axisymmetric droplets and three-dimensional spherical droplets near planar wall boundaries for conditions consistent with inhalable aerosols (5 ? d ? 300 μm) in the upper respiratory tract. Results indicate that planar shear significantly impacts droplet heat and mass transfer for shear-based Reynolds numbers greater than 1, which occur for near-wall respiratory aerosols with diameters in excess of 50 μm. Wall proximity is shown to significantly enhance heat and mass transfer due to conduction and diffusion at separation distances less than five particle diameters and for small Reynolds numbers. For the Reynolds number conditions of interest, significant non-linear effects arise due to the concurrent interaction of uniform flow and shear such that linear superposition of Sherwood or Nusselt number terms is not allowable. Based on the validated numeric simulations, multivariable Sherwood and Nusselt number correlations are provided to account for individual flow characteristics and concurrent non-linear interactions of uniform flow, planar shear, and near-wall proximity. These heat and mass transfer correlations can be applied to effectively compute condensation and evaporation rates of potentially toxic or therapeutic aerosols in the upper respiratory tract, where non-uniform flow and wall proximity are expected to significantly affect droplet transport, deposition, and vapor formation.     

Experimental investigation on inner two-phase flow in counter-flow spray saturator for HAT cycle

An experiment investigation of inner two-phase flow in the counter-flow spray saturator (CFSS) for humid air turbine (HAT) cycle and the simulation of the moving distance of water droplets in counter-flow air are presented here aimed at the understand of two-phase flow in the CFSS in detailed. Dual phase Doppler anemometry (DualPDA) system is applied to obtain the spatial change of the droplet size spectrum in the flow-field to correlate droplet size–velocity correlation. The local measurement profiles of 3D mean velocities and diameters of water droplets are obtained by averaging droplet size classes. Moreover, DualPDA signal processing allows for accurate determination of the volume flux of spherical water droplets. The transient velocity fields are measured by a laser-based particle image velocimetry (PIV) system. The commercial CFD software, FLUENT, is used to simulate the maximum moving distance of water droplets with different diameters and inlet velocities in the counter-flow air with different inlet velocities, then the quantity of water droplet entrainment in the saturator can be estimated.     

Gas-phase entropy generation during transient methanol droplet combustion

A numerical model was used to investigate gas-phase entropy generation during transient methanol droplet combustion in a low-pressure, zero-gravity, air environment.A comprehensive formulation for the entropy generation in a multi-component reacting flow is derived. Stationary methanol droplet combustion in a low ambient temperature (300 K) and a nearly quiescent atmosphere was studied and the effect of surface tension on entropy generation is discussed. Results show that the average entropy generation rate over the droplet lifetime is higher for the case that neglects surface tension. Entropy generation during the combustion of methanol droplets moving in a high-temperature environment (1200 K), as seen in a typical spray combustion system, is also presented. Entropy generation due to chemical reaction increases and entropy generation due to heat and mass transfer decreases with an increase in initial Reynolds number over the range of initial Reynolds numbers (1–100) considered. Contributions due to heat transfer and chemical reaction to the total entropy generation are greater than the contribution due to mass transfer. Entropy generation due to coupling between heat and mass transfer is negligible. For moving droplets, the lifetime averaged entropy generation rate presents a minimum value at an initial Reynolds number of approximately 55.     

Numerical analysis of the interactions between evaporating droplets in a monodisperse stream

A numerical simulation of evaporation in a monodisperse droplet stream is proposed, taking into account the transient state of the evaporation, and the non-uniform mass and heat transfer coefficients on the droplet surface. These investigations emphasize the strong interaction effects between closely spaced droplets in a dense spray, reducing significantly the transfer coefficients. Moreover, the Marangoni force becomes more significant than the viscous force, driving the internal motion of the droplet and affecting the temperature fields. Otherwise, a better understanding of the evaporation phenomenon around closely spaced droplets will help to refine the existing models used in dense sprays.     

Heat Transfer and Flow Characteristics Inside Droplet Formed on Water Surface

Abstract

Dynamics and heat transfer of a silicone oil droplet formed on a water surface are investigated. The silicone oil droplet is heated by the water in a constant temperature container. Temperature and velocity fields inside the droplet are simulated in line with the experimental conditions. The influence of the droplet volume on the flow and heat transfer characteristics is also incorporated in the analysis. The oil droplet pinning and its geometric features for different droplet volumes are examined. Temperature predictions are validated with a thermal camera data. It is found that temperature predictions agree well with the thermal camera data. The constant temperature heating of the water container wall gives rise to two counter rotating circulation cells inside the water, which in turn modifies temperature and flow fields in the water. The flow direction occurs from the droplet top region towards the droplet–water interface. The heated fluid in the region close to the droplet–water interface is carried by the flow current to the droplet sides giving rise to temperature increase in these regions. The values of the Bond number attains greater than unity. The Nusselt and the Bond numbers increase with the droplet volume.