CFD simulations of droplet evaporation in ammonia-air gas mixtures

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Ziba Hashemloo - , Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg (Author)
  • Masoud Haghshenasfard - , Chair of Process Engineering in Hydro Systems (Author)
  • Xiang Lu - , Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg (Author)
  • Yehonatan David Pour - , Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (Author)
  • Boris Krasovitov - , Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (Author)
  • Andrew Fominykh - , Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (Author)
  • Avi Levy - , Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (Author)
  • Kieu Hiep Le - , Hanoi University of Science and Technology (Author)
  • Evangelos Tsotsas - , Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg (Author)
  • Abdolreza Kharaghani - , Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg (Author)

Abstract

In this study, a transient, two-dimensional axisymmetric volume-of-fluid (VOF) multiphase model is developed to investigate the absorption of ammonia (NH3) gas by an evaporating, stationary water droplet. The primary objective is to establish a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) framework capable of resolving the coupled heat and mass transfer process occurring within a liquid droplet exposed to a gas mixture consisting of air and a soluble component. Since fully transient CFD simulations of the complete evaporation process are computationally prohibitive, a hybrid flux-based approach is employed. Transient, axisymmetric VOF simulations are performed over the initial 0–7 s, corresponding to the period of strongest NH3 absorption and the most pronounced surface-temperature increase. Time-resolved interfacial heat and mass fluxes obtained from these simulations are subsequently integrated and coupled with global energy and mass balance equations to predict the droplet temperature evolution and total evaporation time with good accuracy and substantially reduced computational cost. The results show that NH3 absorption induces a significant increase in droplet surface temperature, which in turn enhances the evaporation rate. For NH3-air mixtures containing 5 and 10 vol.% NH3, the evaporation of a water droplet with an initial diameter of 410 μm at 297 K leads to maximum surface temperature increases of approximately 7°C and 10°C, respectively. As a consequence, the total evaporation time is reduced by about 28 % and 47 % compared to evaporation in pure air. These reductions are referenced to the CFD-predicted baseline evaporation time in pure air (815 s), ensuring a consistent numerical comparison. Overall, the findings highlight the strong coupling between NH3 absorption and droplet evaporation in mixed-gas environments and provide insights relevant to spray drying, humidification, and liquid-gas interaction processes.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)601-613
Number of pages13
JournalChemical Engineering Research and Design
Volume227
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2026
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

ORCID /0000-0002-2286-821X/work/206635786
Scopus 105030097100

Keywords

Keywords

  • Ammonia absorption, Heat and mass transfer, CFD simulations, Multiphase modeling, Droplet evaporation