Numerical simulation using boundary element method of the mechanism to enhance heat transport by solitary wave on falling thin liquid films

Abstract

A boundary element method has been developed for analysing heat transport phenomena in solitary wave on falling thin liquid films at high Reynolds numbers. The divergence theorem is applied to the non-linear convective volume integral of the boundary element formulation with the pressure penalty function. Consequently, velocity and temperature gradients are eliminated, and the complete formulation is written in terms of velocity and temperature. This provides considerable reduction in storage and computational requirements while improving accuracy. The non-linear equation systems of boundary element discretization are solved by the quasi-Newton iterative scheme with Broyden’s update. The streamline maps and the temperature distributions in solitary wave and wavy film flow have been obtained, and the variations of Nusselt numbers along the wall-liquid interface are also given. There are large cross-flow velocities and S-shape temperature distributions in the recirculating region of solitary wave. This special flow and thermal process can be a mechanism to enhance heat transport.