Numerical study of boiling with mixed convection in a vertical porous layer

By using an enthalpic method (two-phase mixture model), we have studied numerically boiling with mixed convection in a vertical porous layer with a discrete heating. Liquid is injected at the top face. Finite volume method is used for numerical resolution of equations of volumetric enthalpy and pressure. Results giving time-space evolution of temperature, pressure, velocities of the fluids and evaporated volume are presented and analyzed. Parametric studies to assess the effects of inlet velocity, imposed heat flux and permeability, were performed. Results show that boiling is important if the effects of both, natural and forced convections are similar. The evaporated volume will decrease at high values of intrinsic permeability of porous medium or at high values of inlet velocity. (C) 2002 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.