Experimental investigations into the characterization of vortices in hyperbolic funnels have shown efficient aeration properties. Certain regimes of vortices have been observed to exhibit high gas dissolution rates. This phenomenon has prompted inquiries into the underlying physical mechanisms at both micro and macroscopic scales. The present study employs computational fluid dynamics to numerically analyze the flow field organization inside these vortices, aiming to elucidate the observed high gas transfer rates. Transient simulations are performed on a three-dimensional radially structured hexahedral mesh, utilizing a multiphase Euler-Euler approach-based volume of fluid method for modeling, along with shear stress transport turbulence modeling based on k − ω equations with curvature correction. The evaluation of the two vortex regimes was conducted in terms of hydraulic retention time, water volume in the reactor, air-water interfacial area, and bulk mixing. Instabilities resembling Taylor vortices observed in Taylor-Couette flow systems emerge in the secondary flow field of these vortical structures, facilitating turbulent mixing. A qualitative analysis of the strength of these instabilities in terms of average vorticity per unit mass of water explains the high gas transfer efficiency. Despite high gas transfer rates, water exiting the funnel remains undersaturated under given operating conditions due to the short hydraulic retention time.

The present study is focused on experimental and numerical analysis of unconstrained melting of Paraffin wax-RT58 in a horizontally placed cylindrical container. After the validation of numerical model with experimental results, numerical analysis is extended to constrained melting to investigate the process. The experiments are carried out at constant wall temperature maintained on the lateral surface of the cylinder. The influence of initial sub-cooling and lateral surface temperature on the melting rate is investigated. The melting process is better analyzed by the melting phase front and temperature contours as time progresses. The results show that the melting rate decreases by increasing the initial sub-cooling, and increases with increasing lateral surface temperature of the cylinder. In unconstrained melting, heat transfer by conduction governs the melting process initially, but later it is restricted to only the bottom part of the cylinder as the solid PCM at a higher density sinks due to effects of gravity. Heat transfer in the upper half of the cylinder is dominated by natural convection set up in the liquid PCM. In constrained melting, pure conduction phenomenon exists only in the beginning, and later conjugate heat transfer occurs. When subjected to similar boundary conditions, PCM melt-time is lower in unconstrained melting than in constrained melting. A correlation between melt-time and Stefan number is also developed.