Numerical analysis on various models of pressure snubbers in the hydrogen gas compressing system

Abstract

This paper explains about numerical modeling of gas flow passing through a snubber, pulsation damper, in a hydrogen gas compressor system. The verification of the preliminary model was done successfully by comparing it with experimental results. Numerical analysis for various snubber dimensions is the focus of this present study. Thirty models of snubber were created by varying snubber height and buffer angle, and then simulated with the real working condition of a hydrogen gas compressing system. The CFD code package used was a Star CD with transient analysis and k-ε / high Reynolds number as the turbulence model. The study was done by comparing pressure loss and pressure pulsation, since these two parameters are the objective functions in snubber optimization. The best snubber is the one that has the minimum pressure loss and pressure pulsation. Numerical result shows that the pressure loss grows with the increment of snubber volume. To the contrary, however, the pressure pulsation is decreased. Determining the buffer angle as the adjusted variable, the minimum pressure loss occurred at 30°. But pressure pulsation trend was escalating.