Accuracy Analysis for Kinetic Modeling of Homogeneous Condensation in Plumes

Abstract : Two different approaches for modeling the clustering in rapidly expanding plumes have been reported in the literature. The first approach, known as the classical approach, takes its starting point from the classical nucleation theory (CNT) which is based on equilibrium thermodynamics. The second one, known as the kinetic approach, treats nucleation as the process of kinetic chemical aggregation. The first, macroscopic, approach, while being useful and found to be applicable for a number of flow scenarios, has at the same time a number of drawbacks that are very difficult to overcome. In many cases when CNT-based results cannot be fitted to experimental data. For example, the CNT-based prediction of the cluster size distributions significantly deviated from experimental data. This is also consistent with the work of Ref. 6, where it was also found that the correct prediction of the cluster size distribution along with the internal and translational energy distributions is beyond the area of applicability of the classical approach.