Bubble Dynamics and Heat Transfer During Nucleate Boiling in a Microchannel

Abstract

The bubble dynamics and heat transfer associated with nucleate boiling in a microchannel is studied numerically by solving the equations governing conservation of mass, momentum, and energy in the liquid and vapor phases. The liquid-vapor interface is tracked by a level set method which is modified to include the effects of phase change and contact angle. Also, the method is coupled with a simple and efficient model for predicting the evaporative heat flux from the liquid microlayer. The effects of channel size, contact angle, and wall superheat on the bubble growth and heat transfer in a microchannel are investigated.