CFD based approach for modeling direct contact condensation heat transfer in two-phase turbulent stratified flows

This paper describes a CFD based strategy for the modeling of stratified two-phase flows with heat and mass transfer across a moving steam-water interface due to direct contact condensation. Such flows have been of major importance for example in connection with the analysis of nuclear reactor safety systems, in particular during two-phase Pressurized Thermal Shock (PTS) scenarios. The approach is based on the two-fluid phase-average model. The interfacial friction was modeled by using an Algebraic Interfacial Area Density (AIAD) framework where the drag coefficient is a function of the local flow characteristics. To show the impact of the modeling of interfacial friction the simulation with the AIAD model was compared with a simulation where a constant drag coefficient of 0.44 was used in the whole domain. For the modeling of interfacial heat and mass transfer two correlations for the water heat transfer coefficient based on the penetration theory were utilized. The CFD simulations were validated against a steady-state TOPFLOW-PTS steam-water experiment. In the experiment, very detailed temperature measurements were conducted using special thermocouple lances and infrared thermography. Total condensation rate was determined indirectly by using three different methods. The simulations have depicted that the results obtained with the AIAD model are considerably closer to the experimental observations than the results obtained with the constant drag coefficient. It was also shown that a correct prediction of condensation rates is very important for prediction of the temperature field. In general, the simulations of the TOPFLOW-PTS steam/water experiment with condensation have revealed that Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes method can be applied for the simulation of two-phase stratified flows with rather large free surfaces and interfacial heat transfer. However, the modeling of turbulent interfacial heat transfer should be improved.