Abstract
<jats:p>This study performed a detailed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) assessment of flow phenomena during an oxygen pressure surge test (OPST) at 30 MPa based on the ISO 10297 standard. Using OpenFOAM software, it carried out transient CFD simulations with high temporal resolution of two geometries: (1) a 1,000-mm-long, 5-mm-diameter pipe; and (2) a 750-mm-long, 14-mm-diameter pipe. This study used the opening behavior of the quick-opening valve from test data as an input in the CFD simulation. This novel approach resulted in a very realistic simulation of the oxygen flow from the high-pressure driver section into the low-pressure driven section. Real gas properties, high-resolution meshing, and shear stress transport turbulence modeling were used to obtain a realistic prediction of the entire flow field and the associated flow phenomena (supersonic shock flow, rapid compression at the end wall, shock wave reflection, etc.) during the OPST. It was observed that the pressure and temperature surge near the end wall was more pronounced in the 1,000-mm-long pipe, implying that pipe geometry is an important factor influencing shock strength. Using a CFD-oriented approach, this study thus aims to bridge the existing lack of knowledge about the flow phenomena during OPST in order to aid engineers in designing oxygen products with a high degree of safety.</jats:p>