NUMERICAL STUDY OF DROPLET-STREAM VAPORIZATION AT ZERO REYNOLDS-NUMBER

This paper presents a numerical simulation of the vaporization of an i nfinite stream of droplets in the limit of zero Reynolds number. Analy tical transformations are developed so that tire solutions can be soug ht in a regular domain, suitable for the finite difference method, and points can be clustered in high-gradient regions to guarantee precisi on for the numerical approximation without corresponding increase in t he computational costs. Once obtained, the transformed equations are d iscretized, leading to an algebraic system of equations for the veloci ty potential and the temperature. This system is solved using subrouti nes available in scientific routines libraries, with interactive refin ement of the solution. The transformations are then inverted, and the profiles within the physical domain are obtained for the quantities of interest. The results are compared, with analytical solutions availab le to limiting cases, for validation purposes. Converged numerical sol utions for a stream with different droplet spacings are presented, sho wing the effect of droplet interaction. The results indicate that the vaporization rate of a droplet in a stream can be obtained from tire i solated droplet vaporization case times a function depending on the in terdroplet distance.