Numerical investigation of the effects of dry gas model and wet steam model in solar-driven refrigeration ejector system

Abstract

Abstract Nowadays, the use of equipment with little pollution is essential due to the increase in the planet’s temperature. Ejectors are considered one of the equipment with no pollution, and their failure rate is low due to the lack of moving parts. Also, scholars have recently focused on improving the efficiency of industrial equipment. The use of accurate modeling is required to improve steam ejector performance. In a steam ejector, non-equilibrium condensation creates a two-phase flow situation. The wet steam model, used in this study, characterizes this two-phase flow. The study’s objective was to compare this wet steam model with the dry gas model. In the wet steam model, the liquid mass fraction is 0.25, and its calculated entrainment ratio is lower than the dry gas model, closely matching experimental observations. The dry gas model reaches a maximum Mach number of about 5, while the wet steam model approximates 4. A significant temperature difference exists between the two models, with the dry gas model indicating lower temperatures compared to the wet steam model. Diagonal shocks and expansion waves are evident in the mixing chamber, fixed cross-section, and diffuser. These phenomena occur with greater intensity and a slight delay in the wet steam model compared to the dry gas model.