Effect of electric field on bubble dynamics in channel flow boiling using lattice Boltzmann method

Abstract

The application of an electric field in flow boiling has been proven to effectively enhance heat transfer and reduce pressure drop instability. This study aims to elucidate the mechanism of the impact of electric fields on flow boiling bubble dynamics through the pseudo-potential lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). The interplay between the externally imposed electric field incoming velocity in different gravity conditions examined. These factors can regulate flow boiling heat transfer in horizontal channel. The results demonstrate a competitive relationship between electric field and gravity and between incoming velocity and gravity. Therefore, under higher gravity condition, an electric field is less effective to enhance flow boiling heat transfer than in low gravity condition and vice versa. Additionally, there exists a synergistic relationship between incoming velocity and the electric field that mitigates their competition. Moreover, when considering multipoint nucleation processes, applying an electric field can attenuates bubble–bubble interactions and inhibit large bubble formation so as to accelerates bubble condensation in supercooled flows and enhance boiling heat transfer. This work provides comprehensive physical insights into the mechanism of electric field to enhance the heat transfer in flow boiling, which is instructive for the development of electrohydrodynamic technique in flow boiling enhancement.