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Numerical sensitivity study on nucleation bulk tension factor of non-equilibrium condensation model

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Abstract

The spontaneous condensation process of steam has obvious non-equilibrium characteristics, the accurate prediction of which is challenging. In this work, the nucleation bulk tension factor (NBTF) is used to modify the droplet surface tension for improving the accuracy in the calculation of the steam condensation flow. The non-equilibrium condensation processes in two nozzles are numerically simulated using a surface tension model with NBTF. The influence of NBTF on the simulation accuracy of the steam spontaneous condensation flow is analyzed. The correlation among the optimal value of NBTF, steam expansion rate and inlet parameters is emphatically studied. The obtained results show that the optimum value of NBTF is not sensitive to the change in the steam expansion rate under the same working conditions. It has no significant correlation with the total inlet temperature, but has a significant positive correlation with the total inlet pressure. Based on the numerical results, a cubic polynomial regression model between the optimal NBTF and total inlet pressure is obtained, the reliability of which is further verified by numerical calculation of a wet steam two-phase flow in the Bakhtar plane cascade. These results can provide a reference for determination of the optimum NBTF in wet steam condensation nucleation models.

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Abbreviations

J :

Nucleation rate

σ :

Surface tension

q c :

Condensation coefficient

m :

Mass of a water molecule

ρ c :

Vapor density

ρ d :

Droplet density

K :

Boltzmann’s constant

T c :

Vapor temperature

η :

Nonisothermal correction factor

γ :

Vapor specific heat capacity

R :

Gas constant for vapor

L :

Latent heat

ΔG c :

Bulk Gibbs free energy

σ 0 :

Flat-film surface tension

λ c :

Vapor thermal conductivity

K n :

Knudsen number

T s :

Saturation temperature

h c :

Vapor specific enthalpy

h d :

Liquid specific enthalpy

c :

Sound velocity

p :

Static pressure

P 0 :

Total inlet pressure

T 0 :

Total inlet temperature

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Acknowledgements

This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51106099).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Energy and Power Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200093, China

    Eryun Chen, Shiyin Fu, Ailing Yang & Shuxue Peng

  2. Shanghai Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow and Heat Transfer in Power Engineering, Shanghai, 200093, China

    Eryun Chen

  3. School of Medical Instruments and Food Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200093, China

    Gaiping Zhao

Authors
  1. Eryun Chen
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  2. Shiyin Fu
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  3. Ailing Yang
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  4. Shuxue Peng
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  5. Gaiping Zhao
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Eryun Chen or Ailing Yang.

Additional information

Eryun Chen received Ph.D. degree in Nanjing University of Science and Technology, in 2009. Now he works at University of Shanghai for Science and Technology. His current research interests include computational fluid dynamics, nonequilibrium condensation and flow induced vibration and noise.

Ailing Yang received Ph.D. degree in Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, in 1998. Now she works as a Professor at University of Shanghai for Science and Technology. Her current research interests include non-equilibrium condensation, gas dynamics and aeroacoustics of turbine.

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Chen, E., Fu, S., Yang, A. et al. Numerical sensitivity study on nucleation bulk tension factor of non-equilibrium condensation model. J Mech Sci Technol 37, 977–985 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-023-0137-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-023-0137-y

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