Simulation of supersonic quenching of metallic vapors

Abstract: This paper presents a one-dimensional (1D) model and a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model for the prediction of supersonic quenching of magnesium vapor in a Laval nozzle. The 1D model was developed by the CFD team at CSIRO to reduce computational costs. In comparison with other models, the 1D model includes solidification and its effect on the thermodynamic properties of the flow in the nozzle, along with the condensation of the metallic vapor. In the CFD simulations, an axisymmetric model was used, where the Navier-Stokes equations were coupled with thermodynamics for phase change and nucleation, to predict the gas flow, temperature, and composition. The temperature drop predicted by the 1D model a key factor in quenching metallic vapor into a metallic solid was in good agreement with the CFD simulation. Notably, the computation by the 1D model was three orders of magnitude faster than the CFD simulation and required significantly fewer computational resources. In conclusion, the combination of the 1D model and CFD is an effective approach for predicting the thermodynamics of supersonic quenching of metallic vapors. Keywords: Supersonic quenching, Condensation, Solidification, Metallic vapor, 1D-model, CFD