SBIR Boiling Research
Airflow Sciences was awarded Phase I and Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contracts from the Air Force Research Laboratory on the topic of “CFD Tools for the Prediction of Bulk Residual Stresses”. In essence, the project involves the development of practical and accurate simulation methods that can be used to determine surface heat fluxes during liquid quenching operations, which are used in subsequent finite element modeling. Currently, those heat fluxes are determined through experimental quench trials.
Development of improved CFD boiling models will be based on flow boiling heat flux data collected in ASC's lab for selected quenchants. The video above shows data being collected in that facility for film boiling of water. Validation of the boiling models is through comparison between data collected during quenching of a representative part with CFD simulations of that same situation.
Quench Tank