Numerical investigation on pressure oscillations in steam condensation from injection of subcooled water

Steam-water direct contact condensation phenomenon is commonly found in many industries like chemical process industry, nuclear industry etc. In this work the injection of subcooled water into a steam filled pipe has been studied computationally. As a result of steam-water interaction within the pipe the pressure oscillates, which may cause damage to piping system or equipment. The effects of water inlet velocity, water inlet temperature, steam pressure and degree of steam superheating have been studied on the amplitude of pressure oscillations. The first and second dominant frequencies of pressure oscillations have also been obtained and studied. For most of the cases, the first dominant frequency peak was observed in the range ~ 0-1400 Hz whereas, the second dominant frequency peak was in the range ~ 2500 Hz – 3000 Hz. The first pressure peak was observed near the inlet of subcooled water such that its amplitude was increasing with increasing inlet water velocity but was nearly independent of inlet water temperature. Similarly, degree of steam superheating has no noticeable effects on pressure oscillations. It was observed that at a constant water temperature and water injecting velocity, the location of the pressure peaks was independent during the study. Further, the dominant frequency prediction map has been developed for the steam-water interaction in a pipe. The present study is assumed to be beneficial towards unfolds various important facts regarding steam-water interaction in the relevant industrial applications.