Evaluation of a New Droplet Growth Model for Small Droplets in Condensing Steam Flows

Sima Shabani, Mirosław Majkut, Sławomir Dykas (), Krystian Smołka, Esmail Lakzian, Mohammad Ghodrati and Guojie Zhang
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Sima Shabani: Department of Power Engineering and Turbomachinery, Silesian University of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Mirosław Majkut: Department of Power Engineering and Turbomachinery, Silesian University of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Sławomir Dykas: Department of Power Engineering and Turbomachinery, Silesian University of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Krystian Smołka: Department of Power Engineering and Turbomachinery, Silesian University of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Esmail Lakzian: Center of Computational Energy, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar 9617976487, Iran
Mohammad Ghodrati: Center of Computational Energy, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar 9617976487, Iran
Guojie Zhang: School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 5, 1-15

Abstract: As the condensation phenomenon occurs in the low-pressure stages of steam turbines, an accurate modelling of the condensing flows is very crucial and has a significant impact on the development of highly efficient steam turbines. In order to accurately simulate condensing steam flows, it is essential to choose the right condensation model. Further research to enhance condensation models is of special importance because the outcomes of numerical studies of condensation models in recent years have not been entirely compatible with the experiments and there are still uncertainties in this area. Therefore, the main aim of this paper is to evaluate a proposed droplet growth model for modelling condensation phenomenon in condensing steam flows. The new model is derived to profit from the advantages of models based on the continuum approach for large droplets and those based on the kinetic theorem for small droplets, which results in the model being robust for a wide range of Knudsen numbers. The model is implemented into a commercial CFD tool, ANSYS Fluent 2022 R1, using UDFs. The results of the CFD simulations are validated against experimental data for linear cascades within the rotor and stator blade geometries of low-pressure steam turbine stages. The findings clearly demonstrate the superiority of the new model in capturing droplet growth, particularly for very small droplets immediately following nucleation. In contrast, widely used alternative droplet growth models tend to either underpredict or overpredict the droplet growth rate. This research significantly contributes to the ongoing efforts to enhance condensation modeling, providing a more accurate tool for optimizing the design and operation of low-pressure steam turbines, ultimately leading to a higher energy efficiency and a reduced environmental impact.

Keywords: condensing steam flows; droplet growth model; steam turbine stages; CFD simulations; linear cascades (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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