Molecular gas dynamics applied to phase change processes at a vapor–liquid interface: shock-tube experiment and MGD computation for methanol

Abstract

This paper deals with a molecular gas-dynamics method applied to the accurate determination of the condensation coefficient of methanol vapor. The method consisted of an experiment using a shock tube and computations using a molecular gas-dynamics equation. The experiments were performed in such situations where the shift from a vapor–liquid equilibrium state to a nonequilibrium one is realized by a shock wave in a scale of molecular mean free time of vapor molecules. The temporal evolution in thickness of a liquid film formed on the shock-tube endwall behind a reflected shock wave is measured by an optical interferometer. By comparing the measured liquid-film thickness with numerical solutions for a polyatomic version of the Gaussian–BGK model of the Boltzmann equation, the condensation coefficient of methanol vapor is accurately determined in vapor–liquid nonequilibrium states. As a result, it is clear that the condensation coefficient is just unity very near to an equilibrium state, but is smaller far from the equilibrium state.