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Pool boiling is the heat-transfer mechanism of many heat exchangers inside ocean nuclear power plants working under the complex marine circumstances. Also, ocean conditions will create a new acceleration field other than gravity for the fluid, which induces some unique thermal–hydraulic characteristics. In this study, pool boiling under heaving conditions is numerically simulated using multiple relaxation time phase change lattice Boltzmann method. Firstly, the simulated results under static condition have been validated with recognized empirical equations, such as Rohsenow’s correlation at nucleate boiling, Zuber’s model, and Kandlikar’s model about critical heat flux (CHF). Then, pool boiling patterns, the boiling curve of time-averaged heat flux, transient heat flux, and heaving effects on different pool boiling regions are investigated. The results show that pool boiling curves of time-averaged heat flux between heaving conditions and static conditions with middle superheat degrees are similar. Heat transfer under heaving conditions at low superheat is somewhat enhanced, and it is weakened at high superheat, which leads to a slightly smaller critical heat flux with larger superheat compared with that under static conditions. Moreover, distinct fluctuation of the transient heat flux of pool boiling under heaving conditions is found for all boiling regimes. Furthermore, the heaving condition shows both positive and negative effects on pool boiling heat transfer at high-gravity and low-gravity regions, respectively. Besides, both the larger heaving height and shorter period time bring out more violent heaving motion and make a greater impact on pool boiling heat transfer.

Rolling motion caused by ocean condition will induce more complicated inertial forces with their force directions changing all the time, which results more complex bubble behaviors and unique heat transfer characteristics. In this work, pool boiling under rolling condition is numerically simulated using multiple relaxation time phase change lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). Pool boiling patterns, boiling curve of time-averaged heat flux, transient heat flux and rolling effects on different pool boiling regions are investigated. The results show that pool boiling curve of time-averaged heat flux between rolling condition and static condition are not obvious until close to critical heat flux, and 9.3% higher CHF is achieved under rolling condition while worse heat transfer is discovered at film boiling. Moreover, distinct fluctuation of transient heat flux of pool boiling under rolling condition is found for all boiling regimes, and its variation pattern along with the rolling motion and bubble behavior is investigated. Furthermore, tangential inertial force caused by rolling motion has positive influence on heat transfer of pool boiling, while the centrifugal force has negative influence on heat transfer, since it is opposite to the gravity and hence decreases the buoyancy force. Besides, larger rolling amplitude and smaller rolling period will induce larger additional inertial forces, and thus make greater influences on the bubbles’ behavior and pool boiling heat transfer.