Electric field-controlled bubble nucleation and heat transfer enhancement on nanoparticle surfaces: A multiphysics simulation based on lattice Boltzmann method

Nanoparticles and nanobubbles play critical roles in various fields, including thermal management, enhanced heat transfer, and interfacial reaction. Investigating the microscale mechanisms by which electric fields regulate bubble nucleation on nanoparticle surfaces and enhance heat transfer is essential for further advancing application performance. In this work, the lattice Boltzmann method is employed to study the dynamic effects of electric fields on bubble nucleation, growth, and departure on nanoparticle surfaces under the synergistic action of multiple physical fields, coupling the two-phase flow model, gas–liquid phase change model, and electric field model. The results demonstrate that the electric field significantly optimizes bubble behavior and heat transfer efficiency. Specifically, as the electric capillary number (CaE) increases from 0 to 1.6, the bubble departure diameter decreases by up to 66.08%, while the departure frequency increases by up to 75.86%. Moreover, the spatiotemporally averaged heat flux increases by up to 130.03% as CaE rises from 0 to 1.6. Under the combined action of electrophoretic and dielectrophoretic forces, bubbles detach more efficiently from the nanoparticle surface, thereby enhancing liquid agitation and thermal exchange, which ultimately leads to a substantial improvement in heat transfer performance. This study provides a theoretical foundation for the electric-field-regulated nanoparticle/nanobubble systems.