Three-dimensional numerical model for the two-phase flow and heat transfer in condensers

Abstract

Abstract In this study, a three-dimensional numerical model has been developed to simulate the fluid flow and heat transfer in industrial steam surface condensers with complex irregular shapes. The numerical method is based on the Eulerian–Eulerian two-phase model by solving the conservation equations of mass and momentum for both gas-phase and liquid-phase, and the mass fraction conservation equation for the non-condensable gases. A distributed resistance formulation (porous media) approach is used to account for the effect due to the presence of tubes on the shell-side flow in the condenser. Also, the convective heat transfer correlations are used to model the heat and mass transfer between the shell-side fluid and the tube-side fluid. The effect of the turbulence and non-condensable gases on the primary phase flow is also included in the numerical model. The numerical results are compared with the experimental data for a small experimental condenser and a full-size industrial condenser, and the proposed numerical model is proved to be relatively accurate in simulating the turbulent two-phase flows in condensers. Finally, the comparison is made between the current three-dimensional model and the quasi-three-dimensional model proposed in the previous work.