COMPressible multiphase flows modelling for Energy and Transport applications – COMPET

Compressible multiphase flows play key roles in a large quantity of engineering applications for the energy and transport sectors: nuclear power plant, hydraulic components, naval propeller, CO2 capture and storage, detonation engine, hydrogen technology for sustainable aviation, etc. The physical modelling faces numerous obstacles due to the difficulty of modelling coupled heat and mass transfers, the large variation of thermodynamics properties (from vacuum to critical point) and the complex interaction with multiscale turbulent phenomena, all in the presence of strong pressure waves or shock waves.

The present project aims at bringing a contribution to the modelling of various compressible multiphase problems linked to energetic systems by performing conjointly high fidelity simulations and accurate experimental studies. Based on development of a large-scale numerical approach with phase transition combined with modern experimental diagnostics, on the improvement of multiphase modelling involving heat and mass transfers, we will bring a new outlook on the physical mechanisms involved in these systems.

We propose to jointly address the following challenges:
(i) build a large-scale numerical approach in order to investigate the complex interaction between turbulence and multiphase structures with phase transition;
(ii) develop an experimental set up with simultaneous measurements of the volume fraction of gas and the velocity field to finely describe the flow dynamics;
(iii) develop accurate and well-posed multiphase models with respect to stiff thermodynamics and complex interfacial exchanges, in particular for liquid hydrogen in cryogenic condition;
(iv) perform high-fidelity simulations and fine experimental investigations of representative configurations for the analysis and the better understanding of the physical phenomena and the instability mechanisms, allowing to improve the design and the lifetime of these systems.