Condensation Induced Shock in Thermal/Fluid Systems

Phase-change through condensation and evaporation processes takes place in many daily-use heating and cooling systems. However, if these processes experience uncontrolled pressure and temperature conditions, shock waves may be generated. Depending on the strength and conditions of the generated waves, they can decrease the effective life of equipment or even cause devastating destruction. Cavitation and water hammer phenomena are examples of flow issues that are well understood and reported in thermal/fluid systems, although not many studies have been published in open literature on condensation-induced shock (CIS) with the applications in refrigeration and air conditioning systems. This study reviews the limited literature on this topic, analyze the complex CIS phenomenon, derives and solves the governing equations, presents the results of typical conditions that may happen in different residential and industrial applications, and provides ways to avoid devastating incidents that may occur as a result of this phenomena.