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Updated: May 23, 2026

Pool-Boiling Heat-Transfer Enhancement on Cylindrical Surfaces with Hybrid Wettable Patterns
Published on: April 10, 2017
Thermohydrodynamics of boiling in a van der Waals fluid
T Laurila1, A Carlson, M Do-Quang
1COMP CoE at the Department of Applied Physics, PO Box 11100, Aalto University School of Science, FI-00076 AALTO, Finland.
Abstract:
We present a modeling approach that enables numerical simulations of a boiling Van der Waals fluid based on the diffuse interface description. A boundary condition is implemented that allows in and out flux of mass at constant external pressure. In addition, a boundary condition for controlled wetting properties of the boiling surface is also proposed. We present isothermal verification cases for each element of our modeling approach. By using these two boundary conditions we are able to numerically access a system that contains the essential physics of the boiling process at microscopic scales. Evolution of bubbles under film boiling and nucleate boiling conditions are observed by varying boiling surface wettability. We observe flow patters around the three-phase contact line where the phase change is greatest. For a hydrophilic boiling surface, a complex flow pattern consistent with vapor recoil theory is observed.
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