A numerical study of free surface heat transfer effect on thermocapillary flow of high Prandtl number fluids

摘要

Numerical investigations are carried out to study the effect of free surface heat transfer on the thermocapillary flow in liquid bridges of high Prandtl number fluids. The air motion in the vicinity of the liquid bridge is simulated as a coupled domain to the liquid bridge. Flow and temperature fields both in the liquid bridge and in the surrounding air are computed simultaneously to evaluate the rate of heat transfer at the liquid-air interface. The governing equations and the coupled thermocapillary boundary conditions are solved using a commercial CFD software. The computed flow field reveals recirculation of liquid in the liquid bridge and also of the air in the vicinity. The flow and temperature field are considered over a wide range of Marangoni numbers (10200-29440). A decrease of ambient temperature is associated with higher heat loss and causes reduction of Ma{sub}(cr).