梯度亲钠结构表面接触角的LBM数值模拟研究

LBM Numerical Simulation for Contact Angle Behavior on Gradient Sodium-philic Structures

  • 摘要: 热管冷却反应堆因其高安全性和高效传热性能成为核能领域的研究热点,吸液芯作为其核心组件,其表面润湿特性直接影响毛细力与传热效率。本文基于格子Boltzmann方法(LBM),研究了梯度亲钠纳米结构表面对液钠接触角的影响机制。通过改进多松弛时间模型和伪势相互作用力模型,模拟分析了微柱高度、间距和宽度等几何参数对液钠接触角的影响规律,实现了液钠在微柱结构平直及倾斜表面的润湿铺展过程的稳定模拟。结果表明:倾斜表面使液滴不再对称;微柱高度高于3 lu时,间距增加使液钠接触角变大;微柱宽度与间距的改变具有相同的响应规律,其中宽度大于10 lu时可近似看作平面,此时接触角大小无明显变化;合理提高微柱高度,润湿性能变好。

     

    Abstract: Heat pipe-cooled reactors are a significant research focus within the nuclear energy domain, distinguished by their inherent advantages of high safety, straightforward operational characteristics, and ease of modularization. High-temperature alkali metal heat pipes, emerge as the preferred choice for integration into such reactor systems, primarily due to their exceptional isothermal behavior and superior heat transfer efficiency. The performance of these heat pipes critically depends on their core component, the wick, where surface wettability directly governs both the capillary force driving the working fluid and the overall heat transfer efficiency. However, conventional wick designs currently face a challenge in simultaneously achieving both high capillary force and high permeability. To address this limitation and enhance heat pipe efficiency, a novel composite wick incorporating gradient sodium-philic nanostructures was proposed. Despite this potential, the majority of existing research focuses on conventional working fluids, and consequently, investigations into the flow and spreading mechanisms to alkali metal working fluids, within high-temperature heat pipe wicks remain notably limited. This study aims to systematically investigate the influence exerted by both flat and inclined surfaces engineered with gradient sodium-philic nanostructures on the contact angle of liquid sodium, employing the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) as the computational tool. The LBM was specifically selected over alternative simulation approaches because it offers a more accurate description of multiphase flow interface characteristics while also requiring significantly shorter computational time. Nevertheless, the stability of the fundamental LBM model is often inadequate. To substantially enhance model stability, this work adopted an improved multi-relaxation-time (MRT) collision model coupled with a pseudo-potential interaction force model. Geometric parameters defining the wick micro-structure, including micropillar height, micropillar spacing, and micropillar width, were incrementally adjusted. Furthermore, inclined surfaces and gradient sodium-philic nanostructures were incorporated into the computational domain. The impact of each of these parameters and configurations on the spreading contact angle of liquid sodium was then individually analyzed. This approach successfully achieved stable and robust simulations of liquid sodium wetting and spreading dynamics on both flat and inclined surfaces featuring diverse micropillar geometries. The results indicate that on inclined surfaces, liquid sodium droplets exhibit faster spreading in the direction of the inclination; Upon reaching equilibrium, the droplet’s bottom spreading profile becomes asymmetric, and the gradient structure and the inclined surface work synergistically to promote the directional wetting and spreading of the liquid. When the micropillar height exceeds 3 lu, increasing the micro-pillar spacing causes the liquid sodium contact angle to increase, potentially leading to a transition of the surface from sodium-wetting to sodium-repelling. The variation trend of micropillar width is similar to that of spacing; However, beyond 10 lu, the surface can approximate a flat surface, and the contact angle tends to stabilize. Within the height range of 2-7 lu, increasing the micropillar height decreases the liquid sodium contact angle, thereby enhancing wettability. These findings provide a theoretical basis for optimizing wick surface design and are significant for enhancing the thermal performance of heat pipes.

     

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