Numerical simulation of incompressible two-phase flows with phase change process in porous media

A new OpenFOAM solver is developed to simulate fluid flow in porous media with phase-change. The solver is based on equations describing the two-phase flow. The effects of porous media are expressly handled within the framework of the Representative Elementary Volume analysis. For the moving interface experiencing phase-change, the volume-averaged approach is used mainly for reasons of computational efficiency. Among enhancements, the development of the volume-averaged porous flow model adds more porous resistance factors to the momentum equation. The new solver is validated with several test cases. A great agreement is observed between the current study results and the analytical solutions and/or results of previous well documented studies. Numerical simulation of transpiration cooling in porous media proves the efficiency of the new solver in more complex applications on heat and mass transfer dynamics in porous media. The obtained results showed good agreement with previous experimental investigation data (relative errors < 6.5 %). The effect of mass flow rate on cooling efficiency is also discussed.The present approach can be applied thoroughly, for design guidance purposes, to other problems involving more physical phenomena (combustion, chemical reactors, etc.) and complex forms of force (electrical, magnetic, inertial, etc.).