Mechanical Engineering
CANDIDATE: Fatemeh Ghavidel Mangodeh
DEGREE SOUGHT: MASc
DATE: 3/21/2025
TIME: 10:30am
PLACE: Room 1102 CEI
TITLE: The Peng-Robinson Equation of state: Why it is Useful in CFD of Refrigerants
Abstract
Miniaturized centrifugal compressors are important components in aviation environmental control systems, used for cabin air conditioning. These compressors are designed to operate with organic refrigerants, selected for their low boiling points and thermal stability. However, simulating the behaviour of these refrigerants in CFD is not a straightforward process as their characteristics differ significantly from perfect gas assumptions. In this seminar, the focus is on using and validating the Peng-Robinson equation of state (PR EOS) in the open-source CFD package OpenFOAM. The PR EOS accurately captures real gas effects in various reduced pressure (Pr) and temperature (Tr) ranges, capturing both compressibility factor and heat capacity variations. The application of the PR EOS in OpenFOAM is demonstrated through one-dimensional and converging nozzle simulations.