Experimental and numerical analysis of a variable area ratio steam ejector

In the present paper, experimental and CFD results for a 5 kW capacity steam ejector with variable primary nozzle geometry are presented and compared. The variable geometry was achieved by applying a movable spindle at the primary nozzle inlet. Operating conditions were considered in a range that would be suitable for an air-conditioning application, with thermal energy supplied by vacuum tube solar collectors. The CFD model was based on the axi-symmetric representation of the experimental ejector, using water as working fluid. The experimental entrainment ratio varied in the range of 0.1–0.5 depending on operating conditions and spindle tip position. It was found that the primary flow rate can be successfully adjusted by the spindle. CFD and experimental primary flow rates agreed well, with an average relative error of 7.7%. CFD predicted the secondary flow rate and entrainment ratio with good accuracy only in 70% of the cases.