Extension of the delayed equilibrium model to flashing flows of organic fluids in converging-diverging nozzles

Flashing flows of organic fluids find application in various energy systems, but the available modelling approaches rely on semi-empirical correlations calibrated for other fluids and operating conditions. This paper extends the state-of-the-art one-dimensional models developed for water to flashing of organic fluids, using R134a as a reference. First, the delayed equilibrium model combined with Gro center dot nnerud's friction correlation is identified as the most appropriate approach, reducing the error on mass flow rate with respect to experimental results from 48.3 %, obtained with the homogeneous equilibrium model, to 10.3 %. Then, the traditionally adopted incompressible flow assumption for the metastable liquid phase is replaced by a dedicated thermodynamic model, preventing the appearance of unphysical metastable phase temperatures. Moreover, the delayed equilibrium model is tailored to R134a by tuning the semi-empirical coefficients of the constitutive law. The proposed modifications to the state-of-the-art delayed equilibrium model result in an improvement in the prediction of the pressure profiles and the mass flow rate for flashing flows of R134a, with a decrease in the error on mass flow rate from 10.3 % to 6.1 % with respect to the original formulation.