Numerical investigation on heat transfer and vapour layer geometry of a droplet impacting on a spherical particle in Leidenfrost regime

Understanding the heat transfer mechanism and dynamic behaviors of droplet-particle collision in Leidenfrost regime is essential for the pyrohydrolysis process of pickling liquor, which is sprayed into a fluidized bed and then decomposes to oxides and acid vapour. In this study, the droplet deformation, heat transfer characteristics and vapour layer geometry of Leidenfrost droplet impacting spherical particle are investigated by constructing a microscale phase change model in VOF framework. The applicability of the computational model in capturing droplet dynamics and thermodynamics is verified by comparing it with experimental outcomes. The results indicate that the vapour layer geometry is relatively uniform in spreading but shows instability in recoiling. The vapour layer thickness increases rapidly in both spreading and early recoiling, while decreases in the late recoiling phase. Furthermore, the heat transfer and droplet evaporation depend on the vapour layer thickness strongly. Specifically, the thinner the vapour layer, the lower the heat transfer resistance. The increasing surface temperature, We and Re can effectively enhance heat transfer and raise droplet temperature. In addition, the maximum spreading factor and liquid-solid contact time play an important role in heat transfer and they both show a clear power-law dependency on We and Re for viscous droplets. The effect of droplet size on contact time is consistent with first-order vibration theory but the contact time is independent of surface temperature and impact velocity.