A mathematical study of the effect of a moving boundary and a thermal boundary layer on droplet heating and evaporation

Abstract

Two new solutions to the heat conduction equation, describing transient heating of an evaporating droplet, are suggested. Both solutions take into account the effect of the reduction of the droplet radius due to evaporation, assuming that this radius is a linear function of time. It has been pointed out that the new approach predicts lower droplet surface temperatures and slower evaporation rates compared with the traditional approach. New solutions to the heat conduction equation, describing transient heating of an evaporating droplet, are suggested, assuming that the time evolution of droplet radius Rd(t) is known. The results of calculations are compared with the results obtained using the previously suggested approach, when the droplet radius was assumed to be a linear function of time during individual time steps, for typical Diesel engine-like conditions. Both solutions predict the same results which indicates that both models are likely to be correct.

Date of Award	Feb 2012
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Brighton