Overview
- Nominated by the Georgia Institute of Technology as an outstanding PhD thesis
- Presents the first systematic description of the two-phase flow problem based entirely on a physical model of both the liquid and the gas phase
- Makes a number of radical contributions to our fundamental understanding of convection in volatile fluids and modeling of evaporative cooling devices
Part of the book series: Springer Theses (Springer Theses)
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Table of contents (7 chapters)
Keywords
About this book
This thesis represents the first systematic description of the two-phase flow problem. Two-phase flows of volatile fluids in confined geometries driven by an applied temperature gradient play an important role in a range of applications, including thermal management, such as heat pipes, thermosyphons, capillary pumped loops and other evaporative cooling devices. Previously, this problem has been addressed using a piecemeal approach that relied heavily on correlations and unproven assumptions, and the science and technology behind heat pipes have barely evolved in recent decades. The model introduced in this thesis, however, presents a comprehensive physically based description of both the liquid and the gas phase.
The model has been implemented numerically and successfully validated against the available experimental data, and the numerical results are used to determine the key physical processes that control the heat and mass flow and describe the flow stability. One ofthe key contributions of this thesis work is the description of the role of noncondensables, such as air, on transport. In particular, it is shown that many of the assumptions used by current engineering models of evaporative cooling devices are based on experiments conducted at atmospheric pressures, and these assumptions break down partially or completely when most of the noncondensables are removed, requiring a new modeling approach presented in the thesis.
Moreover, Numerical solutions are used to motivate and justify a simplified analytical description of transport in both the liquid and the gas layer, which can be used to describe flow stability and determine the critical Marangoni number and wavelength describing the onset of the convective pattern. As a result, the results presented in the thesis should be of interest both to engineers working in heat transfer and researchers interested in fluid dynamics and pattern formation.
Authors and Affiliations
About the author
Dr Tongran Qin was awarded a PhD degree by Georgia Institute of Technology in 2015.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Buoyancy-Thermocapillary Convection of Volatile Fluids in Confined and Sealed Geometries
Authors: Tongran Qin
Series Title: Springer Theses
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-61331-4
Publisher: Springer Cham
eBook Packages: Physics and Astronomy, Physics and Astronomy (R0)
Copyright Information: Springer International Publishing AG 2017
Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-319-61330-7Published: 03 August 2017
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-319-87053-3Published: 12 May 2018
eBook ISBN: 978-3-319-61331-4Published: 25 July 2017
Series ISSN: 2190-5053
Series E-ISSN: 2190-5061
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XVIII, 209
Number of Illustrations: 34 b/w illustrations, 29 illustrations in colour
Topics: Thermodynamics, Engineering Fluid Dynamics, Energy Systems, Fluid- and Aerodynamics