Conjugate heat transfer simulation of sulfuric acid condensation in a large two-stroke marine engine - the effect of thermal initial condition

In the present study, conjugate heat transfer (CHT) calculations are applied in a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation to simultaneously solve the in-cylinder gas phase dynamics and the temperature field within the liner of the engine. The effects of different initial temperatures with linear profiles across the liner are investigated on the wall heat transfer as well as on the sulfuric acid formation and condensation. The temporal and spatial behavior of sulfuric acid condensation on the liner suggests the importance of CHT calculations under large two-stroke marine engine relevant conditions. Comparing the mean value of the heat transfer through the inner and outer sides of the liner, an initial temperature difference of 15 K with a linear profile is an appropriate initial condition to initiate the temperature within the liner. Moreover, the effect of the amount of water vapor in the air on the sulfuric acid formation and condensation is studied. The current results show that the sulfuric acid vapor formation is more sensitive to the variation of the water vapor amount than the sulfuric acid condensation.