Sessile condensate droplets as quasi-static wall deformations in direct numerical simulations of channel flow with condensation

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel modeling approach for sessile condensate droplets as quasi-static wall deformations in direct numerical simulations, capturing their impact on turbulent heat and vapor transport in channel flow.

Contribution

The study extends single-phase flow simulations by modeling droplets as quasi-static deformations, enabling efficient analysis of droplet-flow interactions in turbulent condensation.

Findings

Condensate droplets increase turbulent heat and vapor transport.

Droplet presence shifts condensation from surrounding areas to droplet surfaces.

Flow symmetry breaking influences condensation patterns.

Abstract

Condensation is an important aspect of many flow applications due to the universal presence of humidity in the air at ambient conditions. For direct numerical simulations of such flows, simulating the gas phase as a mixture characterized by temperature and humidity coupled by the release and absorption of latent heat has been shown to yield results consistent with multiphase direct numerical simulations at reduced costs. Modeling sessile droplets as quasi-static deformations based on the underlying condensation rates at the surface extends the single-phase approach to include the interaction between droplets and flow while retaining the advantages of simulating the gas phase only. The results of simulations of turbulent flow through a cooled, vertical channel with and without droplets show increased turbulent transport of heat and vapor due to the presence of condensate droplets, both in the immediate vicinity of the droplets and for the channel as a whole. In particular, the breaking of the symmetry of the wall shifts condensation from the surrounding areas onto the droplet surfaces.