Thermodynamic Modelling of Supersonic Gas Ejector with Droplets

Abstract

This study presents a thermodynamic model for determining the entrainment ratio and double choke limiting pressure of supersonic ejectors within the context of heat driven refrigeration cycles, with and without droplet injection, at the constant area section of the device. Input data include the inlet operating conditions and key geometry parameters (primary throat, mixing section and diffuser outlet diameter), whereas output information includes the ejector entrainment ratio, maximum double choke compression ratio, ejector efficiency, exergy efficiency and exergy destruction index. In single-phase operation, the ejector entrainment ratio and double choke limiting pressure are determined with a mean accuracy of 18 % and 2.5 % , respectively. In two-phase operation, the choked mass flow rate across convergent-divergent nozzles is estimated with a deviation of 10 % . An analysis on the effect of droplet injection confirms the hypothesis that droplet injection reduces by 8 % the pressure and Mach number jumps associated with shock waves occuring at the end of the constant area section. Nonetheless, other factors such as the mixing of the droplets with the main flow are introduced, resulting in an overall reduction by 11 % of the ejector efficiency and by 15 % of the exergy efficiency.

Keywords

• supersonic ejector
• thermodynamic modelling
• refrigeration system
• droplet injection
• shock attenuation
• exergy analysis