Numerical modeling of a supersonic steam ejector for a heat powered refrigeration systems

Ejector chillers can be suitable competitors for absorption chillers as soon as their efficiency is improved. This can be achieved by a careful design of the ejector, which implies an advanced understanding of the complex flow phenomena occurring in this device, and the development of computational tools capable to predict such a behavior. In the present paper a CFD model for predicting metastable condensation inside a steam ejector is presented and validated with experimental data from literature. Moreover, a detailed description of the main phenomena and metastable effects in the supersonic ejector is presented with a comparison of different CFD models developed on a commercial solver. © 2018 International Institute of Refrigeration