Modeling of Heat Transfer in Two-Phase Flow Using the Level-Set Method

Abstract

The implementation of a two-phase flow model, developed at SINTEF Energy Research and relying on the level-set method, was extended through the discretization and implementation of an advection-diffusion equation for temperature and a Boussinesq coupling between the temperature and velocity fields. In two-phase flow, both the continuum surface force method and the ghost-fluid method was employed for handling jumps at the interface. Results from simulated cases indicated that the implementation for both single- and two-phase flow with the ghost-fluid method was correct, with second- and first-order convergence, respectively.Also, a model for phase transition was implemented to allow for vaporization and condensation mass transport between the phases. Results from simulated one-dimensional cases indicated that the implementation of this model was correct in one dimension, with first-order convergence. These results from one dimension and the qualitatively correct results from two dimensions gave reason to believe that the implementation was correct also in two dimensions.Through the introduction of heat-transport physics in the implementation of the two-phase flow model, this implementation has been developed in direction of performing more detailed simulations that are relevant for natural gas liquefaction processes.