Modeling of three dimensional thermocapillary flows with evaporation at the interface based on the solutions of a special type of the convection equations

Theoretical and numerical study of the convection processes, which are accompanied by evaporation/condensation, in the framework of new non-standard problem is largely motivated by new physical experiments. One of the principal questions is to understand the character and to evaluate the degree of influence of particular factors or their combined action on the structure of the joint flows of liquid and gas-vapor mixture. The flow topology is determined by four main mechanisms: natural and thermocapillary convection, tangential stresses and mass transfer due to evaporation at the interface. The mathematical modeling of the fluid flows in an infinite channel with a rectangular cross section is carried out on the basis of the solution of a special type of the convection equations. The effects of thermodiffusion and diffusive thermal conductivity in the gas phase and evaporation at the thermocapillary interface are taken into consideration. Numerical investigations are performed for the liquid – gas (ethanol – nitrogen) system under normal and low gravity. The fluid flows are characterized as translational and progressively rotational motions and can be realized in various forms.