Two-Phase Vessel Blowdown of an Initially Saturated Liquid—Part 2: Analytical

• Published in: Journal of heat transfer 1983-11, Vol.105 (4), p.694-699
• Main Authors: Hutcherson, M. N, Henry, R. E, Wollersheim, D. E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0022-1481; 1528-8943
• DOI: 10.1115/1.3245650

Analytical models are presented to predict the internal vessel conditions during the decompression regimes of an initially saturated liquid. A subcooled blowdown analysis considers the elasticity of both the liquid and vessel. A bubble growth analysis for the intermediate period of blowdown is based on thermally dominated bubble growth from a solid surface into a superheated liquid. A dispersed analysis for the latter decompression period assumes the vapor bubbles have grown sufficiently so the liquid is uniformly distributed within the vapor phase. The sub-cooled analysis predicts the initial period of blowdown reasonably well. The bubble growth analysis predicts the rise in system pressure above that value to which it initially falls after the end of subcooled blowdown. It considers an initially “slow” depressurization rate (less than 400 MPa/s) where nucleation and bubble growth is the dominate volume producing, and thus pressure recovery, mechanism. It provides insight into why the system pressure initially drops below the saturation pressure, and it also offers an explanation for the subsequent recovery of the system pressure toward the saturation pressure. The thermodynamic equilibrium analysis provides a reasonable prediction of the latter stage of decompression. The combination of these three models predicts the overall two-phase decompression phenomenon reasonably well.