화학공학소재연구정보센터
International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol.39, No.2, 247-257, 1996
Thermocapillary Flow Effects on Convective Droplet Evaporation
The thermocapillary convection effect on he dynamic behavior of a vaporizing-convecting hydrocarbon droplet is investigated numerically in a laminar, axisymmetric environment. The model predicts that surface tension gradients along the gas-liquid interface strengthen droplet internal circulation and result in shorter evaporation lifetimes. The relative effect of thermocapillary Stresses on overall droplet evaporation rates is nearly independent of Reynolds number. While Nusselt numbers on the droplet surface are little affected, a significant reduction of drag coefficient is observed when thermocapillary convection is taken into account. A substantial enhancement of the corresponding Sherwood numbers is also predicted. The results indicate that the Marangoni stresses cause temporal flow oscillations along the droplet interface at early stages of the droplet evaporation lifetime.