Numerical study on the spontaneous condensation flow in an air cryogenic turbo-expander using equilibrium and non-equilibrium models

The difficulty of data measurement in cryogenic environments and the complicated mechanism of nucleation process have restricted the design of wet type turbo-expander for cryogenic liquid plants. In this paper, equilibrium and non-equilibrium models are used to model the spontaneous condensation flow in a cryogenic turbo-expander along the main stream passage including nozzle, impeller and diffuser. The comparison shows a distinct difference of the predicted wetness fraction distribution along the streamline between the equilibrium model and the non-equilibrium model. In non-equilibrium model, the distributions of supercooling and nucleation rate along the length of turbo-expander are given for the analysis of flow characteristics. The comparison of outlet wetness fraction with the experimental data is also provided for verification and discussion. Both the effects of the rotation on nucleation and the effects of the nucleation on flow along suction side of the impeller are investigated.