Dr. Matej Tekavčič from the Reactor Engineering Division at Jožef Stefan Institute in collaboration with researchers from the Institute of Fluid Dynamics, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (Germany) published the article »Validation of a morphology adaptive multi-field two-fluid model considering counter-current stratified flow with interfacial turbulence damping« in the journal Nuclear Engineering and Design.

The paper considers simulations of an isothermal counter-current stratified flow case in the channel of the WENKA (Water Entrainment Channel Karlsruhe) experiment using a morphology adaptive multi-field two-fluid modelling framework. To model the turbulent flow conditions near an interface, the modelling framework was extended with a turbulence damping model. Two turbulence damping strategies were investigated: symmetric, with damping in both phases, and asymmetric with damping only in the gas phase.

The comparison shows that the asymmetric approach offers improved prediction of turbulent kinetic energy on the liquid side of the interface, but with a cost of diminished accuracy of the predicted velocity profiles on the gas side.