Fully resolved simulations of forced convective boiling using the Lattice-Boltzmann method

Boiling is ubiquitous, from cooking food to industrial processes. Boiling is also an efficient way to enhance heat transfer and, therefore, it is used in a wide range of applications, from cooling electronic devices to refrigeration systems, to heat exchangers in industrial processes. In most applications involving boiling heat exchangers the flow is forced, considerably complicating the phenomenology. In this work we aim at advancing the current level of understanding of the fundamental physics processes involved in forced boiling convection with a relevant impact on the efficiency and energy consumption of a vast number of industrial processes. Using a massive GPU-accelerated Lattice-Boltzmann method, we fully resolve the vast multiscale nature of boiling that requires not only to accurately resolve the wide range of turbulent length scales, but also the interface and structure on individual vapors bubbles from when they nucleate to when they reach their maximal size. This allows us to study the boiling curve of forced convection at unprecedentedly high resolutions, unveiling the rich physics of the turbulent convective boiling system. We study various Eulerian flow properties of boiling with and without additional external forcing, as well as the Lagrangian properties of the vapor bubbles that nucleate in the boiling flow.