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<p>This study investigates the mechanisms and performance of methane (CH<sub>4</sub>) capture through supersonic condensation in optimized Laval nozzles, using a computational framework that integrates classical nucleation theory (CNT), real-gas thermodynamics, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). A design of experiments (DoE) methodology was employed to systematically explore the influence of five key geometric parameters, namely inlet radius, throat radius, divergence angle, and the lengths of the converging and diverging sections on non-equilibrium methane condensation and phase separation behavior. The condensation process was modeled under metastable conditions using a custom CNT implementation incorporated into ANSYS Fluent through user-defined functions. The computational model was validated against experimental data for steam and carbon dioxide, demonstrating its capability to capture multiphase flow dynamics across fluids with different thermodynamic properties. A total of 32 nozzle configurations were evaluated using condensation efficiency, thermal efficiency, and exergy loss as performance metrics. Among these, four configurations exhibited superior performance, with Run ID 22 achieving a maximum condensation efficiency of 17%, while maintaining thermal efficiencies above 72% and exergy losses below 10%. The optimized designs also demonstrated stable operation across inlet temperatures of 240–260&#xa0;K and pressures of 65–75&#xa0;bar, indicating strong operational robustness. The results reveal how nozzle geometry influences supersaturation development, condensation onset, and phase separation efficiency in supersonic flows, providing new insights into the thermodynamic and geometric drivers governing methane condensation.</p>

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Sustainable methane capture via supersonic condensation in optimized Laval nozzles

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月30日

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  • Kapil Das Sahu,
  • Shyam Sunder Yadav,
  • Mani Sankar Dasgupta

摘要

This study investigates the mechanisms and performance of methane (CH4) capture through supersonic condensation in optimized Laval nozzles, using a computational framework that integrates classical nucleation theory (CNT), real-gas thermodynamics, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). A design of experiments (DoE) methodology was employed to systematically explore the influence of five key geometric parameters, namely inlet radius, throat radius, divergence angle, and the lengths of the converging and diverging sections on non-equilibrium methane condensation and phase separation behavior. The condensation process was modeled under metastable conditions using a custom CNT implementation incorporated into ANSYS Fluent through user-defined functions. The computational model was validated against experimental data for steam and carbon dioxide, demonstrating its capability to capture multiphase flow dynamics across fluids with different thermodynamic properties. A total of 32 nozzle configurations were evaluated using condensation efficiency, thermal efficiency, and exergy loss as performance metrics. Among these, four configurations exhibited superior performance, with Run ID 22 achieving a maximum condensation efficiency of 17%, while maintaining thermal efficiencies above 72% and exergy losses below 10%. The optimized designs also demonstrated stable operation across inlet temperatures of 240–260 K and pressures of 65–75 bar, indicating strong operational robustness. The results reveal how nozzle geometry influences supersaturation development, condensation onset, and phase separation efficiency in supersonic flows, providing new insights into the thermodynamic and geometric drivers governing methane condensation.