Y. Q. Zu

A lattice Boltzmann method for incompressible two-phase flows on partial wetting surface with large density ratio

This paper reports a new numerical scheme of the lattice Boltzmann method for calculating liquid droplet behaviour on particle wetting surfaces typically for the system of liquid-gas of a large density ratio. The method combines the existing models of Inamuro et al. [T. Inamuro, T. Ogata, S. Tajima, N. Konishi, A lattice Boltzmann method for incompressible two-phase flows with large density differences, J. Comput. Phys. 198 (2004) 628-644] and Briant et al. [A.J. Briant, P. Papatzacos, J.M. Yeomans, Lattice Boltzmann simulations of contact line motion in a liquid-gas system, Philos. Trans. Roy. Soc. London A 360 (2002) 485-495; A.J. Briant, A.J. Wagner, J.M. Yeomans, Lattice Boltzmann simulations of contact line motion: I. Liquid-gas systems. Phys. Rev. E 69 (2004) 031602; A.J. Briant, J.M. Yeomans, Lattice Boltzmann simulations of contact line motion: II. Binary fluids, Phys. Rev. E 69 (2004) 031603] and has developed novel treatment for partial wetting boundaries which involve droplets spreading on a hydrophobic surface combined with the surface of relative low contact angles and strips of relative high contact angles. The interaction between the fluid-fluid interface and the partial wetting wall has been typically considered. Applying the current method, the dynamics of liquid drops on uniform and heterogeneous wetting walls are simulated numerically. The results of the simulation agree well with those of theoretical prediction and show that the present LBM can be used as a reliable way to study fluidic control on heterogeneous surfaces and other wetting related subjects.

Wetting Behaviours of a Single Droplet on Biomimetic Micro Structured Surfaces

Natural surfaces with super hydrophobic properties often have micro or hierarchical structures. In this paper, the wetting behaviours of a single droplet on biomimetic micro structured surfaces with different roughness parameters are investigated. A theoretical model is proposed to study wetting transitions. The results of theoretical analysis are compared with those of experiment indicating that the proposed model can effectively predict the wetting transition. Furthermore, a numerical simulation based on the meso scale Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) is performed to study dynamic contact angles, contact lines, and local velocity fields for the case that a droplet displays on the micro structured surface. A spherical water droplet with rs = 15 µm falls down to a biomimetic square-post patterned surface under the force of gravity with an initial velocity of 0.01 m·s−1 and an initial vertical distance of 20 µm from droplet centre to the top of pots. In spite of a higher initial velocity, the droplet can still stay in a Cassie state; moreover, it reaches an equilibrium state at t ≈ 17.5 ms, when contact angle is 153.16° which is slightly lower than the prediction of Cassie-Baxter’s equation which gives θCB = 154.40°.

Numerical Simulation of Electroosmotic Flow near Earthworm Surface

The electroosmotic flow near an earthworm surface is simulated numerically to further understand the anti soil adhesion mechanism of earthworm. A lattice Poisson method is employed to solve electric potential and charge distributions in the electric double layer along the earthworm surface. The external electric field is obtained by solving a Laplace equation. The electroosmotic flow controlled by the Navier-Stokes equations with external body force is simulated by the lattice Boltzmann method. A benchmark test shows that accurate electric potential distributions can be obtained by the LPM. The simulation shows that the moving vortices, which probably contribute to anti soil adhesion, are formed near earthworm body surface by the nonuniform and variational electrical force.

Numerical Study on Stagnation Point Heat Transfer by Jet Impingement in a Confined Narrow Gap

In this paper, the heat transfer characteristics of a circular air jet vertically impinging on a flat plate near to the nozzle (H/d = 1-6, where H is the nozzle-to-target spacing and d is the diameter of the jet) are numerically analyzed. The relative performance of seven turbulent models for predicting this type of flow and heat transfer is investigated by comparing the numerical results with available benchmark experimental data. It is found that the shear-stress transport (SST) k - ω model and the large Eddy simulation (LES) time-variant model can give better predictions for the performance of fluid flow and heat transfer; especially, the SST k - ω model should be the best compromise between computational cost and accuracy. In addition, using the SST k ― ω model, the effects of jet Reynolds number (Re), jet plate length-to-jet diameter ratio (L/d), target spacing-to-jet diameter ratio (H/d), and jet plate width-to-jet diameter ratio (W/d) on the local Nusselt number (Nu) of the target plate are examined; a correlation for the stagnation Nu is presented.

Numerical method of lattice Boltzmann simulation for flow past a rotating circular cylinder with heat transfer

Purpose – The main objective of this work is to develop a boundary treatment in lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) for curved and moving boundaries and using this treatment to study numerically the flow around a rotating isothermal circular cylinder with/without heat transfer.Design/methodology/approach – A multi‐distribution function thermal LBM model is used to simulate the flow and heat transfer around a rotating circular cylinder. To deal with the calculations on the surface of cylinder, a novel boundary treatment is developed.Findings – The results of simulation for flow and heat transfer around a rotating cylinder including the evolution with time of velocity field, and the lift and drag coefficients are compared with those of previous theoretical, experimental and numerical studies. Excellent agreements show that present LBM including boundary treatment can achieve accurate results of flow and heat transfer. In addition, the effects of the peripheral‐to‐translating‐speed ratio, Reynolds number and Pran...

CFD Prediction for Multi-Jet Impingement Heat Transfer

In this paper, the flow and heat transfer characteristics of two lines of staggered or inline round jets impinging on a flat plate are numerically analyzed using the CFD commercial code FLUENT. Firstly, the relative performance of seven versions of turbulence models, including the standard k-e model, the renormalization group k-e model, the realizable k-e model, the standard k-ω model, the Shear-Stress Transport k-ω model, the Reynolds stress model and the Large Eddy Simulation model, for numerically predicting single jet impingement heat transfer is investigated by comparing the numerical results with available benchmark experimental data. As a result, the Shear-Stress Transport k-ω model is recommended as the best compromise between the computational cost and accuracy. Using the Shear-Stress Transport k-ω model, the impingement flow and heat transfer under multi-jets with different jet distributions and attack angles are simulated and studied. The effect of hole distribution and angle of attack, etc. on the heat transfer coefficient of the target plate are examined.Copyright

Single Droplet on Micro Square-Post Patterned Surfaces - Theoretical Model and Numerical Simulation.

In this study, the wetting behaviors of single droplet on a micro square-post patterned surface with different geometrical parameters are investigated theoretically and numerically. A theoretical model is proposed for the prediction of wetting transition from the Cassie to Wenzel regimes. In addition, due to the limitation of theoretical method, a numerical simulation is performed, which helps get a view of dynamic contact lines, detailed velocity fields, etc., even if the droplet size is comparable with the scale of the surface micro-structures. It is found that the numerical results of the liquid drop behaviours on the square-post patterned surface are in good agreement with the predicted values by the theoretical model.

Numerical Simulation of Bubbles Deformation, Flow, and Coalescence in a Microchannel Under Pseudo-Nucleation Conditions

This paper reports the results of numerical study on bubbles deformation, flow, and coalescence under pseudo-nucleate boiling conditions in horizontal mini-/microchannels. The numerical simulation, which is based on the multiphase model of volume of fluid method, aims to study the corresponding flow behaviors of nucleate bubbles generated from the tube walls in mini-/microchannels so as to understand the effect of confined surfaces/walls on nucleate bubbles and heat transfer. Under the pseudo- or quasi-nucleate boiling condition, superheated small vapor bubbles are injected at the wall to ensure that the bubbles generation is under a similar condition of real nucleation. The numerical study examined the fluid mechanics of bubble motion with heat transfer, but the mass transfer across the bubble–liquid interface is not simulated in the present work.

1-D Modelling and 3-D Simulation of Confined Bubble Formation and Pressure Fluctuations During Flow Boiling in a Microchannel With a Rectangular Cross-Section of High Aspect Ratio

A simple 1-D model with low requirements for computing time is required to investigate parametric influences on the potentially adverse effects of pressure fluctuations driven by confined vapour bubble growth in microchannel evaporative cooling systems operating at high heat fluxes. A model is developed in this paper for the particular conditions of a channel of rectangular cross-section with high aspect ratio with a constant inlet flow rate (zero upstream compressibility). (The model will later be extended to the conditions of finite upstream compressibility that lead to transient flow reversal). Some parametric trends predicted by the model are presented. The simplifying assumptions in the model are examined in the light of a 3-D simulation by a commercial CFD code, described in an accompanying paper by the same authors. The predictions of pressure changes are in reasonable agreement. It is suggested that the 1-D model will be a useful design tool.Copyright

Numerical Modelling Based on Lattice Boltzmann Method of the Behaviour of Bubbles Flow and Coalescence in Microchannels

This paper introduces a newly developed model of lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) for simulating bubbles flow and coalescence in a microchannel. The model is developed based on the work by Inamuro et al. (2004) aiming to test the suitability of LBM for studying the dynamics of bubbles flow and coalescence in a surface dominated rectangular microchannel and to reduce computational cost. A simple linear function is applied to the order parameter to approximate the density within the interface of gas-liquid and meanwhile employing a new form of the free energy density (rather than the van der Waals free energy) to extend the suitability of the model for simulating two-phase flow on wetted solid boundaries. The evolution of two isothermal air bubbles flowing through a water-filled microchannel and the interactions between the flow fields and the interface of gas-liquid are obtained and investigated numerically.Copyright