Investigation of characteristics and formation mechanism of geyser unstable oscillation in cryogenic pipelines
To investigate the thermophysical characteristics and formation mechanism of unstable geyser oscillations, a numerical simulation model of a cryogenic liquid oxygen pipeline is established. The transient evolution of thermophysical parameters during the development of unstable oscillations is analyz...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-10-01
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| Series: | Case Studies in Thermal Engineering |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214157X25010585 |
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| Summary: | To investigate the thermophysical characteristics and formation mechanism of unstable geyser oscillations, a numerical simulation model of a cryogenic liquid oxygen pipeline is established. The transient evolution of thermophysical parameters during the development of unstable oscillations is analyzed, and the underlying cause of the unstable oscillation is clarified. By comparing geyser behavior in pipelines with and without horizontal pipe sections, the structural factors governing the development of unstable oscillations are further explored. The study reveals that geysers in cryogenic pipelines undergo a transition from unstable to stable oscillation regimes. During this transition, the geyser intensity gradually increases. The duration of the unstable oscillation phase can be as long as 1.9 times the period of a single stable geyser period, under a heat flux of 317.5 W/m2 and an initial temperature of 90 K in the present pipeline configuration. It is found that the unstable oscillation arises from the saturation temperature gradient induced by the liquid column hydrostatic pressure in the vertical pipe section. Additionally, the amplitude of parameter fluctuations during the unstable oscillation phase is nearly identical between pipelines with and without horizontal pipe sections, indicating that the vertical section plays the dominant role in governing the unstable characteristics. However, the horizontal pipe causes a secondary temperature drop near the bottom of the vertical pipe, which prolongs the geyser incubation stage. The total temperature drop reaches 2.4 K, 84.6 % greater than the 1.3 K drop in the vertical-only case. |
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| ISSN: | 2214-157X |