Proceedings of the ASME 2012 Gas Turbine India Conference

GTINDIA2012
December 1, 2012, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

GTINDIA2012-9701

NUMERICAL OPTIMIZATION OF THERMO-COMPRESSORS BASED ON

NON-DIMENSIONAL GEOMETRICAL PARAMETERS
Navid Sharifi Masoud Boroomand
Department of Aerospace Engineering Department of Aerospace Engineering
Amirkabir Universityof Technology Amirkabir Universityof Technology
Tehran, Iran Tehran, Iran

nonlinear relationship between pressure and density. All

ABSTRACT governing equations have been discretized with a second-order
Thermo-compressors are essential parts in desalination upwind scheme and solved by implicit method. The numerical
units and using the high pressure motive steam to compress results verified with experimental measurements obtained from
large amounts of low pressure steam without any moving parts a real life model of thermo-compressor. The outcomes of
or blades. One of the current challenging issues in thermo- applying the validated method on several models enable us to
compressor design is the correct size selection for different develop the practical characteristic curves based on non-
dimensions to achieve the maximum entraining capability at a dimensional parameters which further leading to achieve
given compression ratio. The conventional design methods are optimized shape selection for thermo-compressors.
based on varying shape parameters such as lengths, angles and
diameters of internal parts and select a particular geometry KEYWORDS
which yields the best performance under given boundary Thermo-compressor; Numerical simulation; Steam ejector;
conditions. The major characteristics of thermo-compressors Performance curve; Design method; Characteristic parameters
which have to be compromised during such design procedures
are “compression ratio” and “entrainment ratio”. In the current NOMENCLATURE
study, a new method of size selection for different geometrical English letters
parameters of thermo-compressors will be introduced. The
basis of this method is to define two new non-dimensional A Section area
parameters in terms of geometrical parameters. The effect of D Diameter
varying these parameters on both characteristics of thermo- E Enthalpy
compressors has been studied numerically via a CFD method
g Gravitational acceleration
and subsequently, a practical correlation has been developed to
express the relationship between the characteristics and the L Length
geometrical parameters. The expression obtained from m& Mass flow rate
numerous simulations can be applied to evaluate the
performance of a given geometry prior to manufacturing. The M Mach number
numerical simulation has been performed on more than 320 P Static pressure
different models with different geometries according to the
T Static temperature
finite-volume steady-state method. The structured meshes were
generated within the computational domain. In addition, several u Velocity components
mesh concentrations have been studied to develop a mesh- V Volume of mixing zone
independent model. Moreover, a modified k-epsilon method
has been adopted to model the turbulent flow. Steam was taken
x Spatial dimension
as the working fluid and it was assumed a real gas with a

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 Abbreviations In order to design and improve a high performance
thermo-compressor, a deep understanding of the internal flow
CR Compression Ratio and the mixing phenomena is required. The flow phenomena
ER Entrainment Ratio inside the thermo-compressor are similar to ejector’s flow
TVC Thermal-Vapor Compressor pattern. In the past, ejectors were being designed and based on
a classical theory developed by Keenan and Neumann [1]. This
approach was based on one dimensional gas dynamics theory.
Subscripts One-dimensional viewpoint of gas dynamics has been used by
0 Total (stagnation) properties Christensen [2] and Huang et al. [3] to find the dominant
parameters in the ejector design and evaluate the performance
c Constant area zone of such devices under varying operating conditions. Dutton et
d Diffuser zone al. [4] introduced a simple design procedure for supersonic
m Mixing zone ejectors through using the basic isentropic equations for an
inviscid flow.
th Throat of primary nozzle Recent researches on ejector performance have utilized
dis Discharge flow CFD simulation as an important tool to reveal the internal
phenomena. Numerical simulations led toward a better
mot Motive flow
understanding of flow pattern and precise analysis of
suc Suction flow thermodynamic processes in ejectors. Riffat et al. [5, 6] could
max Maximum value predict the performance of an ejector using methanol as the
working fluid via a commercial CFD package. Sriveerakul et.al
[7, 8] investigated the shock wave pattern and mixing
Greek letters phenomenon within a supersonic steam ejector through using of
α Converging angle a commercial CFD code (FLUENT). They established a small
γ test rig to verify the numerical results and obtained good
Specific heat ratio agreements.
ρ Density Since the flow turbulency has a significant effect on the
τ Stress tensor flow behavior of ejectors, further studies consider different
μ turbulence models for the compressible flow. However, some
Dynamic viscosity of these CFD based studies did not consider any turbulence
σ Liquid surface tension modeling within the computational domain [9, 10].
Bartosiewicz et al. [11, 12] used six different turbulence
models in CFD simulations and evaluated the performance of a
1. INTRODUCTION supersonic ejector used for refrigeration applications. Single-
Thermo-compressors are simple mechanical devices with phase and two-phase operation of a supersonic air ejector under
no blades or other moving parts, using steam as the motive flow different turbulence models was investigated by Hemidi et al.
to compress another stream called secondary flow. The basis of [13, 14].
this method is to accelerate the primary flow over the speed of Some researchers focused on variable geometries to obtain
sound via a convergent-divergent nozzle and decrease the static a robust design for a given operating condition. The important
pressure at the exit plane to suck another fluid. The geometrical factors of a natural gas ejector were found through
compression effect is taken place after a normal shock inside using CFD techniques by Chen et al. [15] and optimal shape
the shell throat and is strengthened by a diffuser part. An factors were obtained. Park [16] used an iterative CFD method
illustration of internal phenomena for a typical thermo- to analyze a thermo-compressor that sustained different values
compressor is depicted in Fig. 1. of motive and suction pressures. The results led to design of a
robust model of thermo-compressor. Park et al. [17] designed a
thermo-compressor which was used in a pilot-scale desalination
unit by employing a commercial CFD package to select the best
shape parameters. Dahmani et al. [18] presented a design
methodology for a simple ejector used in refrigeration systems
with fixed cooling capacity and fixed temperatures of the
external fluids under given operating conditions of the
condenser and the evaporator. Global optimization of jet pumps
was carried out by Fan et al. [19] to determine the influence of
Fig. 1 Schematic view of a thermo-compressor along the the geometry on the overall performance and the amount of
axial direction energy requirements.

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 The lack of useful curves and detailed design procedures
that could be used to clarify an optimum geometry for the
converging zone of ejectors in recent studies was the main
inducement of this article. Therefore, the aim of current study is
to describe an efficient method for thermo-compressor design
on the basis of numerical simulations within various
geometries.
In the first section of this study, a detailed description of
thermo-compressors and traditional method of size selection is
presented. Then a reliable numerical method for evaluating the
characteristic parameters of the thermo-compressor is
introduced and verified experimentally. Afterwards, a huge
number of simulations are performed based on validated
numerical scheme and the results are summarized in sets of
characteristic curves. Finally, a new methodology of design is
proposed to obtain reliable shape parameters for converging
zone of thermo-compressors.
2. THERMO-COMPRESSOR DESCRIPTION
2.1 FLOW PHENOMENA
A schematic view of a thermo-compressor with different
zones has been shown in Fig. 2. A conventional thermo-
compressor comprises four distinct parts: primary nozzle,
mixing zone (converging duct), constant area section and
diffuser.
Fig. 2 Different dimensions and zones of a typical TVC
In fact, a thermo-compressor is made up of a small
convergent-divergent nozzle (primary nozzle) placed inside of a
large one (shell or casing). The high pressure steam (motive
flow) enters the TVC through the primary nozzle and produces
a low static pressure region in the mixing zone. So, the low
pressure steam (secondary flow) is entrained into the
converging zone and accelerated to sonic velocity by the high
momentum level of primary flow. The mixed flow passes
through a strong shock wave in the constant area zone and
expands to a higher static pressure in the diffuser. Two non-
dimensional parameters can be defined to evaluate the
performance of a thermo-compressor: entrainment Ratio (ER)
and compression ratio (CR) which are expressed as below:
m& suc
ER =
m& mot
P The important unknown geometries which should be
CR = dis
Psuc
The flow behaviour within a thermo-compressor falls into
three distinct regions: double choked flow, single-choked flow
and reversed flow. These different operational modes can be
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shown on the characteristic curve of the thermo-compressor as
in Fig. 3.
Fig. 3 Different operating mode of a typical TVC on the
characteristic curve
It can be observed that ER remains constant while the CR
is increased, up to the point where the critical back pressure is
reached. The normal operating mode of the thermo-compressor
fails beyond this point and ER drops rapidly. Hence, the device
has no compression effect and might be engaged in the reversed
flow mode.
2.2 GEOMETRY
The important sizes of a conventional thermo-compressor
which are needed to produce a complete geometry layout can
be outlined as: nozzle throat diameter (Dth), mixing zone inlet
diameter (Dm), mixing zone length (Lm), constant area length
(Lc), constant area diameter (Dc), diffuser outlet diameter (Dd)
and diffuser length (Ld).
Some of these dimensions have a great effect on the
operational conditions of a thermo-compressor. An example is
nozzle throat diameter which controls the rate of motive steam
consumption. The major part of a thermo-compressor which
can be involved in the quality of shock formation is the mixing
zone. Since the mixing of motive and suction flows occurs in
this region and the momentum of the combined flow declines
severely along the converging pathway of this zone, any
variations in the geometry can alter the overall performance.
Therefore, this part has a noticeable influence on the
compression effect of a thermo-compressor and needs to be
studied closely. In the current study, the variation of mixing
zone geometry is considered thoroughly while the other parts of
the device remain constant.
(1) 3. THERMO-COMPRESSOR DESIGN
3.1. TRADITIONAL GEOMETRY DESIGN
(2) selected for a thermo-compressor are the throat diameters of the
primary nozzle ( Dth ) and the shell ( Dc ). The former controls
the total required motive steam and the latter indicates the
maximum allowable delivery steam. The maximum flow rate of
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 the steam inside a choked nozzle is estimated from the
following expression:
γ +1
⎛ P0 A ⎞ ⎡ ⎛ γ − 1 ⎞ 2 − 2γ
⎤
m& = ⎜ ⎟ ⎢ M γ ⎜ 1 + M 2
⎟ ⎥ (3)
⎜ RT ⎟ ⎢ ⎝ 2 ⎠ ⎥
⎝ 0 ⎠
⎣ ⎦
Considering the sonic velocity condition (i.e. M = 1 ) at
the throat and constant specific heat capacity ( γ = 1.3 ) for the
water vapor, this correlation can be used twice to estimate the
two unknown areas ( Ath , Ac ).
• The given properties of motive steam ( P0 ,T 0 ) and the
maximum consumption rate ( m& mot ) will fix the throat area
of the primary nozzle ( Ath ).
• The given values of the delivery steam properties ( P0 ,T 0 )
and the maximum acceptable flow rate in the downstream
( m& dis ) will fix the throat area of the shell ( Ac ).
While the values of Dth and Dc are fixed from the above
discussion, the size of remaining parts of the TVC such as the
mixing zone length, the diffuser length, the nozzle position and
so forth cannot be evaluated directly based on one-dimensional
gas dynamics theory. Some preferential ranges for selecting the
length and the mixing angle have been proposed in common
technical notes, (For example, 5D c ≤ L m ≤ 10D c [11] and
3o ≤ α m ≤ 8o [12]), but they would not assure the best
performance for a TVC at a combination set of selected sizes.
Therefore, the traditional step by step procedure for thermo-
compressor geometry design can be outlined as below:
1. Evaluate a unique value for throat diameter of the primary
nozzle ( D th ) through using Eq. (3).
2. Evaluate a unique value for the constant area diameter
( D c ) through using equation (3).
3. Select a proper value for the length of the mixing zone
( 5Dc ≤ L m ≤ 10D c ).
4. Select an appropriate value for the converging angle of the
mixing zone ( 3 ≤ α m ≤ 8 ).
o o
5. The remaining parts of the TVC geometry do not have
substantial effects on the interaction of supersonic and
subsonic streams and hence, they are not so important in
the fundamental design and were not discussed in technical
notes.
In order to evaluate the performance of the designed
thermo-compressor a reliable numerical simulation can be
performed because, utilization of CFD methods might be very
advantageous due to lowering enormous production cost and
preventing unnecessary trials and errors.
Since there are much feasible geometries with fixed values
of D c and D th , while L m and α m are being varied, it is
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necessary to evaluate the performance of each reasonable
design based on the above procedure. However, this method
might have a large computational cost due to wide ranges of
choosing shape parameters. Therefore, a better idea is to
prepare a set of generic curves that explain the relationship
between characteristic and geometrical parameters.
In order to fulfill such concept, a validated numerical
model should be used to implement numerous simulations with
different geometries and evaluate the characteristics of each
TVC model. A conceptual structure of such procedure will be
presented in the subsequent sections.
3.2. NEW DESIGN METHODOLOGY
In order to establish a logical procedure for geometry
variation, the three shape sizes of the mixing zone (i.e.
L m , D m , Dc ) will be expressed as two non-dimensional
parameters. First a new geometrical parameter is introduced
which has received no attention in the previous studies.
As simply understood, the shape of the mixing zone is a
circular cone frustum which consists of three independent sizes
(i.e. L m , D m , D c ). The volume of this frustum can be
evaluated based on the following expression:
π
V mix = L m ( Dc2 + Dc D m + D m2 ) (4)
12
Based on this new introduced parameter, the following
non-dimensional variables could be defined:
• Non-dimensional mixing length ( L ′ ):
Lm
L′ = (5)
Dc
• Non-dimensional mixing volume (V ′ ):
V mix
V ′= (6)
Dc3
The values of Dth and Dc are assumed fixed during the
following steps. It is obvious that the different combinations of
L ′ and V ′ can produce varying mixing zones. Since, varying
the shape of a TVC does not always have a direct effect on the
CR and ER; these performance parameters were numerically
evaluated for a large set of geometries with different values of
L m , D m , α m under the same boundary conditions. Then, in
order to select the best geometry for the mixing zone among all
possible geometries, the performance of each model was
compared with the other ones and the geometry with the best
characteristic parameters was chosen.
4. NUMERICAL METHOD
4.1. GOVERNING EQUATIONS
The compressible flow in the TVC is governed by the
general form of conservation equations. The internal flow
 phenomena can be modeled accurately using the steady-state 4.4 GRID STUDY
axisymmetric form of conservation equations for mass, Fig. 4 shows the axisymmetric model of the TVC
momentum, and energy as below: geometry. The computational domain was subdivided into five
∂ ( ρu i ) blocks in order to provide a grid topology conformed to the
=0 (7) primary nozzle and shell geometries. The number of structured
∂x i
elements generated for the axisymmetric model was 28,600
∂ ∂ p ∂τ i j
∂x j
( ρu i u j ) = − +
∂x i ∂x j
(8)
quadrilateral elements. However, a grid study was also
employed to achieve mesh independent results, and the
mentioned order of grid elements was the minimal number of
∂
( ρu i E + u i p ) = cells required to produce accurate results. Moreover, grid
∂x i adaption was also employed to achieve a better accuracy in the
(9) computational domain.
∂p ∂ ⎛ ∂T ⎞ ∂
+ ⎜ k eff
∂t ∂ x i ⎝
⎟+
∂x i ⎠ ∂x i
(
uiτ i j )
4.2 TURBULENCE MODELING
It is necessary to consider an appropriate turbulence model
since the mixing phenomenon of the two streams takes place in
the viscous conditions and hence significantly affects the flow
pattern. A two-variable turbulence model was applied to the
whole domain of flow based on the realizable k-ε turbulence
hypothesis to simulate the turbulent characteristics of flow
inside the thermo-compressor. The main governing equations
for this model are expressed as below:
∂ ∂ ∂ ⎡⎛ μ ⎞ ∂κ ⎤ + Src
( ρκ ) + ( ρκ u i ) = ⎢ ⎜ μ + t σ ⎟+ ⎥ κ (10)
∂t ∂x i ∂ x j ⎢⎣ ⎝ κ ⎠ ∂x j ⎥
⎦ Fig. 4 structured mesh for the numerical implementation
inside the TVC
∂ ∂ ∂ ⎡⎛ μ ⎞ ∂ε ⎤ + Src
( ρε ) + ( ρε u i ) = ⎢ ⎜ μ + t σ ⎟+ ⎥ ε (11) 4.5. VERIFICATION OF NUMERICAL METHOD
∂t ∂x i ∂ x j ⎢⎣ ⎝ ε ⎠ ∂x j ⎥
⎦ This numerical method was verified by comparing the
results of a real-life thermo-compressor used in a desalination
The main reason of selecting a realizable approach is the unit in Asaluyeh in Iran (Fig. 5 (a)). The TVC in this system
superiority of this model to standard one for predicting the was analyzed using the CFD method with known boundary
behavior of the round jet flows in ejectors [7]. conditions as described in Table 1. Pressure, temperature and
4.3. BOUNDARY CONDITIONS mass flow rate of each stream were measured and recorded via
Both the primary and secondary flows are assumed to be a PLC monitoring system (Fig. 5 (b)). The exact values of
slightly superheated vapors in order to prevent internal entrainment ratio (ER) for this TVC were calculated
condensation. Therefore, the temperatures of the both influents numerically at different compression ratios (CR) and the
are known from their given corresponding pressures and can be resultant characteristic curve compared with the experimental
assumed fixed. However, the discharge flow is a superheated one (Fig. 6).
(a)
steam and subsonic flow. The temperature of the subsonic flow
exiting the outlet boundary is extrapolated from the interior of
the domain. These boundary conditions were kept constant for
all different geometries.

Table 1 Temperature and pressure values at boundaries

Temperature Pressure
Primary flow 200 ˚C 1600 kPa
Secondary flow 49 ˚C 10 kPa
Discharge flow — 30 kPa
Steam was taken as the working fluid within the
computational domain and it was assumed to be a non-ideal gas
based on “Peng-Robinson” equation of state. (b)

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 compression ratio is the most important requirement that
implies the right selection of a TVC design, no matter what the
ER is. According to the boundary conditions addressed in Table
1, the minimum CR which is required herein is 3.
If the maximum point in the above curve has a desirable
compression ratio, it can be chosen as an optimum design point
for this given value of non-dimensional volume. Therefore, it is
necessary to obtain a similar curve which represents the
variations of CR against L ′ .
(a)
0.9

* Numerical Entrainment Ra tio

0.88

Fig. 5 (a) experimental setup of the TVC in a desalination 0.86 * *

unit (b) data measurement via a monitoring system * * *

ER
* * *
0.84 *
The maximum difference between the numerical and the *
*
experimental ER value at normal operation is lower than 6.7%. *
In addition, the critical point which the entrainment ratio began
0.82
*
*
to drop (i.e. the maximum CR value) was compared favorably
with experimental results. 0.8
6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5
L/D

(b)
3.2

Numerical C ompression Ratio

3.1
CR

2.9

Fig. 6 Characteristic curve of the experimental TVC in 2.8

comparison with the axisymmetric and 3D simulations
5. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
5.1. THE EFFECTS OF GEOMETRIC PARAMETERS
ON PERFORMANCE PARAMETERS
Since the thermodynamic performance of a TVC is
evaluated by the compression ratio (CR) and entrainment ratio
(ER), the effect of variations of non-dimensional length ( L ′ )
and volume (V ′ ) on the ER and CR will be scrutinized in this
section.
Fig.7 (a) shows the variation of ER as a function of L ′ for
various geometrical models with a constant value of V ′ . As
observed, only a single maximum point occurres for different
values of L ′ at a fixed non-dimensional volume. The
maximum ER occurred at this point is indicating that a higher
amount of secondary steam can be compressed with a constant
consumption amount of motive steam. However, the adequate
6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9
L/D
Fig. 7 (a) Entrainment ratio versus L′ (b) Compression ratio
versus L′
Fig.7 (b) shows the configuration discussed in which the
maximum CR is plotted at different values of L ′ . It is
observed that at lower values of L ′ the compression capability
of the TVC is not strong enough to deliver the steam at the
required pressure. In this case, the operational mode of the
TVC is shifted from the double-choking to the single-choking
mode. Hence, in order to retain the stable operating condition
(i.e. double-choking mode), it was necessary to reduce the
outlet pressure from nominal value and consequently, the
resultant CR for these models became lower than required
value. All the models with CR values lower than 3 should be
absolutely neglected, regardless of the ER values.

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 Taking into account these two remarks (maximum ER and Figs. 8(a) and (b) show the variations of ER and CR
required CR) the best value for L ′ can be determined, but it versus L ′ at different V ′ values, respectively. This figure
should be noted again this optimum L ′ is attained among compares the outcomes of numerical simulation for 112
geometries with constant V ′ value. The lower values of L ′ different geometries (i.e. 14 different values of L ′ at 8 distinct
are disregarded due to insufficient CR, and the higher values of volumes). The following results can be concluded from Fig.
L ′ result in lower amounts of ER than the optimum point. 8(a) and (b):
The reason may be expressed as follows. The strength of 1. At a constant mixing zone length ( L ′ ), the geometries
supersonic jet exiting from the primary nozzle is independent
with larger mixing zone volume (V ′ ) have better
of suction condition and completely related to upstream
entrainment ratios. Hence, increasing the volume of the
condition of the motive fluid. So, at constant available volume
mixing zone gives rise to the rate of secondary flow
for mixing of two flows, increasing the length beyond a
entraining.
constant limit leads to decline in effective entraining capability
due to turbulent and frictional losses in the mixing chamber. 2. At a constant mixing volume (V ′ ), only a unique value
Hence, the large values of L ′ can decrease the compression for the mixing zone length ( L ′ ) could be found in which
ratio due to long pathway inside the mixing zone. the optimum entrainment ratio is attained. Hence,
The next step of geometry investigation is to vary the increasing the mixing zone length does not have a constant
mixing zone volume and obtain similar curves for ER and CR. influence on the rate of secondary flow entraining.
In order to obtain such curves, numerous trials were conducted 3. At a constant mixing zone length ( L ′ ), the geometries
using different values of D m , L m and V ′ . (the constant area with smaller mixing zone volume (V ′ ) have better
compression ratios. Hence, increasing the volume of the
diameter Dc was kept constant during all steps of geometry mixing zone reduces the compression ability of the device.
creation). As expected from the above discussion, a similar 4. At a constant mixing volume (V ′ ), the geometries with
trend should be observed for both characteristics. larger mixing zone length ( L ′ ) have better compression
(a)
ratios. Hence, increasing the mixing zone length could
0.95
strengthen the compression ability of the device.
V '=
V '=
9 .2
8 .8
From the above consideration, it is clear that the available
V '=
V '=
8 .4
8 .0
space for the mixing phenomenon of two streams has a great
0.9 V '=
V '=
7 .6
7 .2 influence on the effective operation of the thermo-compressors.
V '=
V '=
6 .8
6 .4 Therefore, in order to achieve a superior design, a compromise
between L ′ and V ′ is necessary.
ER

0.85

It is noticeable that the maximum ER values of the

different mixing zone volumes show a smooth curve that may
0.8
be useful for practical estimations. In order to clarify the
relationship between ER max and L ′ , a polynomial curve is
0.75
5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5
fitted to the set of maximum points of distinct curves in Fig.
L/D 8(a). This illustration is shown in Fig. 9. This figure supports
the hypothesis that the maximum achievable ER can be
(b) improved by increasing the volume of the mixing zone. The
3.3
following equation expresses the maximum entrainment ratio
V'
V'
=
=
9 .2
8 .8
ER max as a function of the non-dimensional mixing zone
length ( L ′ ).
V' = 8 .4
3.2
V' = 8 .0
V' = 7 .6
1 1
ER max = 105 [0.386 + 0.175 ( L ′ ) − 2.545 ( L ′ )
V' = 7 .2
V' = 6 .8 2 3
3.1 V' = 6 .4

1 1
(12)
+ 7.221( L ′ ) − 5.236 ( L ′ ) 5 ]
CR

4
3

The above correlation estimates the maximum attainable

2.9 entrainment ratio for a given value of L ′ . Moreover, it can be
used to select an appropriate value for L ′ so that it yields a
2.8
corresponding maximum value for ER. It is of the utmost
5 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10
L/D importance to note that, equation (12) expresses the
Fig. 8 (a) Entrainment ratio versus (L′) at different (V′) interrelation between geometrical and characteristic parameters
values (b) Compression ratio versus (L′) at different (V′) in a single correlation while having all the variables in non-
values dimensional form. Other important result which should be

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 expressed here is that, there is only a unique set of L ′ and flow into the TVC. Hence, the required compression ratio
V ′ for the mixing zone yielding the maximum entrainment determines the consumption rate of the motive steam at a fixed
ratio with a required compression ratio. value of motive pressure.
(a)
1
1.6
Numerical Results
Curve Fitted Mot 10
Mot 12
1.4 Mot 14
Mot 16
0.9
ERmax

1.2

(ER)max
a ses
re
0.8
' inc 1
V

0.8

0.7
6 7 8 9
0.6
L/D 6 7 8 9 10

Fig. 9 maximum achievable ER versus (L′) L/D

The major restriction on the usage of equation (12) is the (b)

range of applied pressure for the motive steam; because, this 3.4
relationship is just valid for the motive pressure value that is
Mot 10
specified in Table 1. Hence, such a behavior deserves a further 3.2
Mot 12

study to investigate the influence of the motive pressure on the 3

Mot 14
Mot 16

ER max . This influence is studied in the next section.

2.8

5.2. THE EFFECT OF MOTIVE STEAM PRESSURE ON

CR

2.6
THE ERMAX
In order to study the variations of maximum attainable ER 2.4

at different levels of motive steam, all the geometries used in

2.2
the preceding section were numerically simulated with new
motive pressure values. Thus, a similar procedure was 2

performed to obtain characteristic curves at 4 distinct levels of

primary steam pressure, while the remaining boundary
conditions addressed in Table 1 were kept constant. Fig. 10 (a)
shows the maximum ER values at different levels of motive
steam pressure.
As expected, the values of ER max increase with
decreasing the motive pressure, due to the lower steam flow
rate in the choked primary nozzle with a fixed throat.
Furthermore, it can be observed that ER max has been occurred
at L ′ values between 8 and 10.
Applying the same procedure to obtain the variations of
CR under different motive pressures shows lower levels of
compression ratio in the supplementary simulations. Fig. 10 (b)
indicates that the desirable compression ratio is not covered
through lowering the pressure of motive steam.
Since reducing the motive pressure has a reverse influence
on the resultant CR value, the tolerances of the motive steam
pressure should not exceed the given value specified in design
steps. If the lack of the steam pressure happens during the
normal operation of the TVC, it may be recompense by
widening the nozzle throat in order to deliver enough steam
1.8
6 7 8 9 10
L/D
Fig. 10 (a) maximum ER versus L′ at different motive
pressures (b) Corresponding CR versus L′ at different
motive pressures
According to above discussion it can be concluded that,
the investigation of different ranges of the motive pressure is
not necessary to obtain an optimum geometry for a TVC. In
other words, the best selection of sizes for the mixing zone of a
thermo-compressor relies on following steps:
1. The value of motive steam pressure ( Pmot ) is assumed to
be known.
2. The required CR value is assumed to be fixed.
3. The maximum ER value could be found from the above
discussion.
The steps guiding to the size selection for the mixing zone
at given values of motive pressure and compression ratio will
be explained in-depth in the following section.

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 6. DESIGN METHODOLOGY Substitution of P0 = 16 ×105 [ Pa ] , T 0 = 493[ K ] and
6.1. DEVELOPMENT OF DESIGN METHODOLOGY ON
m& mot = 24.5 3.6 [ kg s ] in equation (3) is leading to
THE BASIS OF CFD SIMULATION
So far, the appropriate implement for estimating the size Dth = 0.064 [ m ] .
of the unknown geometries have been introduced and a step by
step methodology for the design of the mixing zone will be Step 3) Calculate the constant area diameter ( Dc )
presented herein. Substitution of P0 = 30 ×103 [ Pa ] , T 0 = 373[ K ] and
1. Before starting any calculations, the design boundary
conditions should be clearly specified. m& mot = 46 3.6 [ kg s ] in equation (3) is leading to
2. Calculate the nozzle throat diameter ( Dth ) through using Dc = 0.630 [ m ] .
equation (3) and upstream conditions. Step 4) Find the required compression ratio ( CR )
3. Calculate the constant area diameter ( Dc ) through using Compression ratio is determined by the ratio of delivery
equation (3) and downstream conditions. pressure to suction pressure. Hence, CR = 3.0 .
4. Find the required compression ratio ( CR ) from the given Step 5) Select a maximum value for ER from Fig. 8(a).
boundary conditions. According to Fig. 8(a), the selected point has ER = 0.88
5. Select an appropriate value for L ′ corresponding to the and the corresponding L ′ = 8.3 .
maximum value of ER from Fig. 8(a). Step 6) Obtain the compression ratio corresponding to the
6. Obtain the compression ratio ( CR ) corresponding to the selected L ′ from Fig. 8(b)
selected L ′ from Fig. 8(b). According to Fig 8(b), the vertical line with L ′ = 8.3
7. Check the resulting compression ratio ( CR ) to not be will cross three distinct curves with different CR values which
lower than the required compression ratio obtained from are depicted in Fig. 11.
step 4. 3.3

8. Calculate the mixing length ( Lm ) from the known values V' = 9 .2

V' = 8 .8 L/D = 8.3
Dc and L ′ .
V' = 8 .4
of 3.2
V'
V'
=
=
8 .0
7 .6

Find the value of non-dimensional mixing volume (V ′ )

V' = 7 .2
9. V' = 6 .8
3.1 V' = 6 .4
corresponding to the selected point.
CR

10. Calculate the mixing volume (V mix ) through using

3
equation (6).
11. Calculate the mixing zone inlet diameter ( D m ) from the 2.9

known values of Dc , Lm and V mix through using

equation (3). 2.8
5 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10

12. The mixing zone geometry will be fixed based on the
known sizes of Dc , D m , L m and Dth
6.2. A STEP BY STEP SOLVED EXAMPLE
In this section, a real TVC design based on the above
methodology is implemented to show the reliability of
comprehensive design curves.
Step 1) Assume fixed Boundary Conditions
The designed thermo-compressor should be able to
operate under the following specifications:
• Available motive steam: total pressure of 16 bar, total
temperature of 220˚C with maximum consumption rate of
24.5 ton/hr.
• Suction flow: total pressure of 10 kPa, total temperature of
49˚C
• Delivery flow: total pressure of 30 kPa, total temperature of
70˚C and maximum allowable delivery rate of 46 ton/hr.
Step 2) Calculate the nozzle throat diameter ( Dth )
L/D
Fig. 11 Intersection points of a vertical line at a constant L′
with design curves
Step 7) Check the resulting CR
The intersecting points in Fig. 11 have different
CR values. Only one point has the acceptable value of CR ,
whereas the other two points have CR values smaller than this
limit (i.e. 3).
Step 8) Calculate the mixing length ( Lm )
By substituting Dc = 0.630 [ m ] into L ′ = 8.3 the value
of Lm will be fixed at Lm = 5.23[ m ] .
Step 9) Find the value of non-dimensional volume (V ′ )
As seen in Fig. 11, the intersection point possessed the
acceptable CR is being located on the curve with V ′ = 8.4 .
Step 10) Calculate the mixing volume (V mix )

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 By substituting Dc = 0.630 [ m ] into equation (6) the
value of V mix will be fixed at V mix = 2.1 ⎡ m 3 ⎤ .
⎣ ⎦
Step 11) Calculate the mixing zone inlet diameter ( D m )
By substituting Dc = 0.630 [ m ] , Lm = 5.23[ m ] ,
V mix = 2.1 ⎡⎣ m 3 ⎤⎦ into equation (4) the value of D m will be
fixed at Dm = 0.03984 [ m ] .
Step 12) Create the geometry
The geometry of the mixing zone will be fixed based on
the known sizes of Dc , D m , Lm .
7. CONCLUSION REMARKS
An investigation on varying a wide range of some
important shape factors and their influence on the performance
of a conventional thermo-compressor has been scrutinized and
tested in the present study.
• The main goal of this study was to investigate the
relationship between important dimensions and the overall
performance of a thermal-vapor compressor (TVC) and
generate characteristic curves which could be used to show
the trend of variations for each characteristic parameter.
• One of the greatest benefits of the proposed technique is that
through using the design methodology introduced herein,
the results of numerous time-consuming CFD runs have
been summarized in a set of comprehensive design charts.
• In this study, two non-dimensional variables pertaining to
the mixing zone geometry have been introduced (i.e.
V ′ and L ′ ). Neither of them has been investigated before.
• A new equation that correlates the non-dimensional
characteristic parameters to non-dimensional geometric
parameters was derived. The equation can be used to find
the maximum achievable ER for a given value of L ′ .
• As expected, the variation of motive steam pressure could
alter the region of effective non-dimensional variables.
Therefore, motive pressure is the main restriction of using
this equation for the other ranges of motive pressure.
• The minimum acceptable CR was assumed fixed according
to the known boundary conditions. Hence, any model
satisfying this limit of CR could be considered as a desirable
geometry. Whereas, the best model is the one with the
highest entrainment ratio.
• The proposed sets of comprehensive charts can be used to
select verified values for the design purposes.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors wish to thank Fan-Niroo Company for the
permission to publish their records.
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