A numerical simulation of nucleate boiling of water on inclined and rough surfaces

Abstract This investigation presents nucleate pool boiling of water using an experimental setup as well as through numerical simulation. The experimental setup consists of a 10 × 8 square inch boiling vessel and a 5-inch horizontal copper heating plate with cartridge electrical heater. Further, 2D numerical simulation on similar geometry was also performed using RPI (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) boiling model in commercial simulation software FLUENT Release 16.2 (of Fluent Inc., USA). The results were validated with the experimental data of this investigation as well as with the data available in various literature. Thereafter, the simulation model for the horizontal surface was extended to study the effects of variation in the angle of inclination of the base heater plate from 0° to 45° in intervals of 5°, keeping the heating surface towards the boiling liquid. Further, the effects of heating surface roughness were also studied. On comparing the data with the horizontal surface, the heat transfer was found to be dependent upon the angle of inclination of heating surface and an increasing trend in heat transfer coefficient was observed, while the onset of bubble formation for all the angles was observed at the lowermost position of the plate, heading upwards. The computational study of roughness over heater plate was also cogent enough to conclude enhancement in heat transfer over treated surfaces.