Numerical simulation of nitrogen condensation flow in a cryogenic nozzle.

2-D numerical simulations on the nitrogen expansion flow with spontaneous condensation in a nozzle were conducted based on the equilibrium model and the non-equilibrium model respectively. In the equilibrium model, the mass transfer between the liquid and vapor is determined by the saturation enthalpies of the liquid and vapor phases. The pressure distribution of the nozzle could be influenced slightly by the condensation process. In the non-equilibrium model, the classical nucleation model is used for the droplets formation. The flow is heated by the latent heat and consequently the decrease of pressure and the increase of Mach number are delayed. Meanwhile, due to the requirement of a certain supercooling level, the condensation onset point is pushed away from the nozzle inlet, and the nozzle outlet wetness fraction becomes smaller. Then, the influence of the nozzle inlet temperature and inlet pressure on gas supercooling, nucleation rate and wetness are analyzed.