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Modeling heat transfer in supercritical fluid using the lattice Boltzmann method
1Simulator Development Department, KFKI Atomic Energy Research Institute, H-1525 Budapest, Hungary. gah@sunserv.kfki.hu
Summary
A new lattice Boltzmann model simulates heat transfer in supercritical fluids, revealing the piston effect
Area of Science:
- Thermodynamics
- Fluid Dynamics
- Computational Physics
Background:
- Supercritical fluids exhibit unique heat transfer properties near their critical point.
- Understanding heat transfer and convection is crucial for applications involving supercritical fluids.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a lattice Boltzmann model for simulating heat transfer in supercritical fluids.
- To investigate the piston effect and the onset of convection near the critical point.
Main Methods:
- Development of a lattice Boltzmann model tailored for supercritical fluid dynamics.
- Simulation of heat transfer in a fluid layer between heated plates.
- Analysis of convection onset in a Rayleigh-Bénard configuration.
Main Results:
- The model successfully captures the piston effect, leading to rapid and homogeneous heating.
- Qualitative prediction of convection onset near the critical point is achieved.
- The model demonstrates a crossover between Rayleigh and Schwarzschild criteria.
Conclusions:
- The developed lattice Boltzmann model is effective for studying heat transfer phenomena in supercritical fluids.
- The model provides insights into near-critical behavior, including the piston effect and convection dynamics.
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