Condensation induced water hammer

Abstract

Condensation is a commonly occurring phenomenon in many industries. Rapid condensation in horizontal channels may sometimes result in Condensation induced water hammers which are potentially violent and may result in serious damage. These transients are triggered by Direct contact condensation. The present work focuses on modelling of Direct contact condensation in a horizontal channel. Simulations are carried out using Ansys Fluent and the results are compared against experimental results from LAOKOON facility. Ansys Volume of fluid approach and condensation models based on surface renewal theory are used in the simulations. Different meshes and performance of the condensation models are investigated in the present work. The simulation results achieved are mesh independent and corresponded well with the experiment results from LAOKOON facility. However, the thermal layer obtained in the simulations is thinner than the experiment. The reason for this might be because of using turbulence damping to obtain a smooth water surface.