Numerical simulation of hydrodynamic and heat transfer characteristics of slug flow in serpentine microchannel with various curvature ratio

Abstract

A numerical investigation is carried out to study hydrodynamic behavior and thermal performance of slug flow in serpentine microchannel with different curvature ratio and wall properties. By using coupled Level Set and Volume of Fluid (CLSVOF) method implemented in Fluent, gas-liquid interface shows good consistency with experimental results especially for slug flow. Distribution of sectional velocity profile in curved microchannel with various curvature ratios was investigated. On the basis of fluid flow in microchannel with non-slip boundary condition, by means of user defined function (UDF), influence of slip velocity on hydrodynamic characteristics was performed numerically. For a better prediction on thermal performance, further analysis of combined effect of wall properties and curvature ratio on fluid flow characteristics was also conducted. As a consequence, the increasing slip velocity on channel wall can reduce hydraulic resistance. Both the contact angle and the curvature ratio have an appreciable influence on thermal performance of gas-liquid two-phase flow in serpentine microchannel.