Numerical study of the velocity effects on the impingement of an acetone droplet on a high‐temperature surface

Abstract

The process of impact of an acetone droplet upon a hot flat surface is analyzed based on a 3D numerical simulation which considers the evaporation behavior. The 3D level‐set method is utilized to track the droplet surface variation during its deformation. The flow field within the droplet and the surrounding gas phase are solved using the finite volume method with the ALE (Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian) technique. The dynamic characteristics of the vapor flow are solved by a vapor flow model that accounts for the lubrication resistant effect of the vapor cushion formed by the film‐boiling evaporation. The heat flux across the vapor layer and the temperature fields in all phases are determined by using a full field heat transfer model. The effects of the impact velocity are illustrated in this study. The spreading and recoiling motions of the impacting droplets are compared at different impact velocities. As the impact velocity increases, the extent of the droplet spreading increases, but the residence time of the droplet on the surface remains almost unchanged. The heat transfer rate at the solid surface is much larger in the spreading process than that in the recoiling and rebounding processes.