Numerical study for laminar wavy motions of liquid film flow on vertical wall

Abstract

Film flows are classified into non-wavy laminar, wavy laminar and turbulence along the Reynolds number or the flow stability. Since the wavy motions of the film flows are so intricate and nonlinear, the studies have largely been dependent upon the experimental way. The numerical approaches have been limited on the non-wavy flow regime. To track the free surface position, various numerical techniques such as the VOF (Volume of Fluids), the MAC (Marker and Cell) and the moving grid have been adopted. However those were for a more accurate estimation of the average film thickness and not for capturing the wavy motion. Because the wavy motion highly affects the heat transfer in the film flow, the profound concern for the wavy motion is significant. In this study, the wavy motions of the laminar wavy film flow with the Reynolds number 200–1000 are successfully found by the VOF and PLIC (Piecewise Linear Interface Calculation) method. The numerical results, including the average film thickness, and the wave’s amplitude, frequency and velocity, are compared with the experimental results.