Wave propagation in wet steam

Abstract

Linear wave equations for equilibrium and subcooled wet steam are introduced in the paper, accounting for thermal and inertial relaxation processes between the vapour and droplets. Relations for sonic velocity and absorption were found to be frequency dependent. Analysis of propagation of a step pressure disturbance suggests that the frozen speed of sound should be used to define, for example, the direction of characteristics and conditions for choking of a wet steam flow. It is concluded further that in a near-equilibrium approximation the non-linear wave phenomena in a wet steam can be analysed by the Korteweg-deVries-Burger equation, accounting for non-linear, dispersive and dissipative effects.