Numerical Method for Simulating High Pressure CO2 Flows With Nonequilibrium Condensation

Abstract

A numerical method for compressible flows with nonequilibrium condensation is reconstructed for simulating supercritical CO2 flows with nonequilibrium condensation under high pressure conditions. Thermophysical properties are interpolated from pressure-temperature look-up tables and density-internal energy look-up tables, which are generated using the polynomial equations in REFPROP. We employ the high pressure nonequilibrium condensation model in which the critical radius of a liquid droplet is modified by considering non-ideal gas. We simulate high pressure CO2 flows through a Laval nozzle, which was experimentally investigated by Lettieri et al. High-pressure CO2 passes through the nozzle, leading to a decrease in its pressure and temperature. It reaches the supercooled condition near the throat. Nucleation and the subsequent growth of droplets lead to an increase in the condensate mass fraction in the diverging area. The proposed method for real gas reproduced the peak of pressure distribution owing to the release of latent heat, whereas the numerical result assuming ideal gas is different from the experimental result. The nucleation region obtained using the present method is earlier and narrower than that in the case of ideal gas. The early and rapid nucleation leads to the high mass condensate rate at the outlet. These results show that considering the real gas effect and nonequilibrium condensation is crucial for developing the impeller of a compressor for the supercritical CO2 Brayton cycle.