Dynamic characteristics and prediction and control models of subsonic exhaust from a container

Abstract

This study combines experimental measurements, numerical simulations, and theoretical analysis to investigate the subsonic discharge process in a container under normal temperature and pressure conditions. Experimental data captured the internal pressure dynamics during exhaust at the atmospheric environmental pressure. Numerical simulations using OpenFOAM validated the isothermal exhaust model against the experimental results. Under the assumption of ideal gas and isothermal processes, a nonlinear differential equation was derived to describe the evolution of the container's internal pressure. This equation was simplified for a specific range of pressure ratios, yielding analytical solutions for the internal pressure of the container under both constant and variable external pressures. The effectiveness of the expressions of pressure inside the container was verified by comparing them with experimental and numerical simulation data. We further developed a formula for predicting exhaust mass flow rate, with a prediction error within 9%. An improved formula was subsequently proposed to reduce the error to below 0.4%, enhancing prediction accuracy. For containers with variable external pressure, a method for controlling the exhaust mass flow rate by predicting external pressure changes was proposed, demonstrating its effectiveness in achieving precise control.