화학공학소재연구정보센터
Energy Sources, Vol.21, No.1-2, 139-144, 1999
Convection in two-liquid-layer system with low Prandtl number
One of the most important features of solar panel manufacturing is the thermocapillary convection of low-Prandtl-number fluid. This numerical modeling study is an effort to simulate the thermocapillary convection in a two-layer fluid system A two-dimensional axisymmetric liquid column model is developed to obtain a quantitative estimate of the thermocapillary convection velocities in a fluid with low Prandtl number encapsulated with viscous liquids such as silicone oil and eutectic salt. All simulations for the microgravity case are conducted using the finite element technique. The flow model is Newtonian, incompressible and interfacial tension gradients are linear. Interfacial deformation as a function of the temperature difference caused by the competing effects of fluid dynamic pressure and capillary pressure is reported for each sample, and the effect of encapsulant on this phenomenon is studied The liquid column is more stable in the presence of an encapsulant.