A direct numerical simulation of axisymmetric cryogenic two-phase flows in a pipe with phase change

An accurate finite-volume based numerical method for the simulation of a cryogenic two-phase flow with phase change heat transfer, consisting of a saturated liquid slug translating in its own superheated vapor in a circular pipe is presented. This method is built on a sharp interface concept and developed on an Eulerian Cartesian fixed-grid with a cut-cell scheme and marker points to track the moving interface. The unsteady, axisymmetric Navier–Stokes equations in both liquid and vapor phases are solved separately. The mass continuity, momentum flux conditions and conservation of energy are explicitly matched at the true boundary between the two phases to determine the interface shape and movement. A quadratic curve fitting algorithm with marker points is used to yield smooth and accurate information of the interface curvatures.It is uniquely demonstrated for the first time with the current method that conservation of mass is strictly enforced for continuous infusion of flow into the domain of computation. The method has been used to compute the velocity, pressure and temperature fields and the deformation of the liquid core. It is also shown that the current method is capable of producing accurate results for a wide range of Reynolds number, Re, Weber number, We, Jakob number, Ja and large property jumps at the interface.