On development and validation of subcooled nucleate boiling models for openfoam foundation release

Subcooled nucleate boiling capability was introduced to OpenFOAM 4.0 within the multiphase framework called reactingEulerFoam. Since then the capability has been further refined and extended in subsequent releases 5.0 and 6. The present implementation - available in OpenFOAM Foundation development release - includes the RPI wall boiling model with run time selectable nucleation site density and bubble departure diameter and frequency models. Runtime selectable wall heat transfer models for distribution of wall heat flux between gas and liquid phases are also included for non-equilibrium phase change simulations. Interfacial heat transfer and phase change are calculated with a two-resistance approach using user selectable heat transfer and saturation temperature models. For bubble diameter modelling algebraic, IATE and inhomogeneous class method models are supported. The present paper provides an overview of the thermal phase change modelling and related models and their implementation and compares simulation results obtained with different model combinations to publicly available experimental data from DEBORA experiments. The goal is to aid those that intend to use the publicly available reactingEulerFoam by providing a summary of the available models and demonstrations of a few modelling details. Tutorial cases based on the presented simulations will be made publicly available in future releases.