CFD for subcooled flow boiling: Coupling wall boiling and population balance models

In this work we investigate the present capabilities of CFD for wall boiling. The computational model used combines the Euler / Euler two-phase flow description with heat flux partitioning. Very similar modelling was previously applied to boiling water under high pressure conditions relevant to nuclear power systems. Similar conditions in terms of the relevant non-dimensional numbers have been realized in the DEBORA tests using Dichlorodifluoromethane (R12) as the working fluid. This facilitated measurements of radial profiles for gas volume fraction, gas velocity, liquid temperature and bubble size.
Essential for the momentum, mass and energy exchange between the phases is an adequate description of the interfacial area or respectively the bubble size. In a previous study (Krepper and Rzehak, 2011) it was shown that a monodisperse bubble size representation is not sufficient to this end. Therefore, in the present work a population balance approach is used, where bubbles are generated at the wall with a certain size that subsequently evolves due to both condensation / evaporation and coalescence / breakup processes. The results show the potential of this approach which is able to describe the observed bubble size increase after leaving the wall as well as the change of gas volume fraction profile from wall to core peaking with increasing inlet temperature.