Numerical study on a sliding bubble during nucleate boiling

A numerical method fur simulating bubble motion during nucleate boiling is presented. The vapor-liquid interface is captured by a level set method whi ch can easily handle breaking and merging of the interface and can calculat e an interfacial curvature more accurately than the VOF method using a step function. The level set method is modified to include the effects of phase change ar the interface and contact angle at the wall as well as to achiev e mass conservation during the whole calculation procedure. Also, a simplif ied model to predict the hear nux in a thin liquid microlayer is developed. The method is applied for simulation of a sliding bubble on a vertical sur face to further understand the physics of partial nucleate boiling. Based o n the computed results, the effects of contact angle, wall superheat and ph ase change on a sliding bubble are quantified.