NUMERICAL ALGORITHM FOR PROBLEMS INVOLVING BOILING AND NATURAL CONVECTION IN POROUS MATERIALS

Abstract
A numerical algorithm for heat transfer problems involving boiling and natural convection in a fluid-saturated porous medium is outlined. The algorithm solves the equations in the single-phase ( liquid) and two-phase (liquid + vapor) regions and continuously tracks the interface between them using a moving boundary approach. The equations are discretized using finite difference control volume methods on a deformable grid conforming to the interface. Convergence and accuracy considerations of the algorithm are discussed, and solutions are presented for a test case