Numerical Analysis of the Motion of a Bubble Using MAC Method.

The MAC (Marker and Cell) method was applied to simulate a single rising bubble, in order to investigate the possibility of direct simulation of the motion and shape of a bubble. Bubble shapes and terminal velocities predicted from axially symmetric two-dimensional calculation were compared with the experimental data summarized by Grace et al. Except for the one case in which the bubble shape differed most from a sphere, the MAC method could predict motion and shape under wide ranges of Eotvos numbers and Morton numbers. Finally, the departure of a bubble including bubble splitting from a wall is analyzed, and detailed behavior of the bubble and single phase heat transfer was obtained. It is found that use of the MAC method could simulate the bubble motion satisfactorily, and some modification of this method will enable us to simulate nucleate boiling.