Numerical and Experimental Study of Paraffin Melting in Heated Air Flow

Numerical and experimental results for the problem of melting of a paraffin sample in a high-temperature gas flow are given. Two-dimensional numerical simulation was carried out using the volume-of-fluid (VOF) method within the framework of the OpenFOAM software package. A good agreement between the shape of samples obtained as a result of experiments and that found from numerical calculations is observed. Acceptable agreement for the sample regression rate in the cases corresponding to various temperatures and air flow rates is obtained. The observed formation of a liquid paraffin layer and its disturbances due to the development of Kelvin–Helmholtz instability are in qualitative agreement for both methods of study. Quantitative comparison of the wavelengths that characterize the melt surface disturbances makes it possible speak about the potential of the VOF method for problems requiring detailed resolution of the interphase boundary structure.