An investigation comparing various numerical approaches for simulating the behaviour of condensing flows in steam nozzles and turbine cascades

The process of condensation takes place within the low-pressure stages of the steam turbine when undergoing rapid expansion. The dry supercooled steam turns into very tiny liquid droplets, and the resulting wet steam mixture causes additional losses and maintenance problems. Accurate simulation of steam condensing flows helps to obtain accurate information about the thermodynamics of such flows and use this information in the design of highly efficient steam turbine stages. In this study, by using the available numerical models in commercial CFD codes, seven cases are considered for simulating steam condensing flows. The important difference between these cases is the use of different condensation models and different equations of state to calculate the thermodynamic properties of wet steam. The objective of this research is to identify an appropriate model that can be used to simulate the flow of steam condensation effectively. In recent studies, it is still necessary for further improvement of the modelling methods because the numerical results did not fully match the experimental findings, underscoring the persisting uncertainties within this domain. The current study explores various condensation models and equations of state for calculating the thermodynamic properties of wet steam. This diversity of approaches is novel and allows for the comparison of different models to determine the most suitable one for effective flow simulation. The geometries of the IWSEP nozzle (International Wet Steam Experimental Project) and linear cascade of the last-stage rotor blades were considered. To identify the most appropriate model for the simulation of steam condensing flows, the numerical results are validated against in-house experiments. The results indicate that combining the Young droplet growth model with the Vukalovich and Young equations in cases 1 and 2 is not a suitable method for modelling steam condensing flows. However, cases 3 & 4, which are the combination of Gyarmathy and Fuchs-Sutugin droplet growth models with NIST real gas models, are the most appropriate ones. The findings of this research confirm the high sensitivity of the modelling of such flows, and emphasize that the necessary care should be taken in choosing the appropriate numerical model.

Automated summary

This study validates and simulates steam condensing flows using different condensation models and equations of state, identifying the most suitable model. The results highlight the importance of choosing the appropriate numerical model for accurately predicting steam condensation flows.