Two-Phase Fluid Simscape : different values between Simscape Results Explorer and Sensors

Hello hello

I have a nice and running (without any errors or warnings !) model of a piston expanding some steam.

However, when I want to read the temperature and enthalpy in the piston chamber, I see 2 different results which for me should be the same:

1 - One is taken through sensors on the line ;

2 - One is taken directly from the Simscape Results Explorer of the piston itself (mechanical translational converter).

Since there is no valve or anything between 1 and 2, they should be exactly the same readings no ? Well they are not: see the temperature and specific enthalpy (which by the way the temperature acts super weirdly with those spikes but I already put a different post for that one: https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/540911-two-phase-fluid-weird-temperature-peak?s_tid=prof_contriblnk)

(Blue is the mechanical converter and red is the sensor)

If you want to check the sensors also if anything's wrong :

It's not a super issue blocking me but still my curiosity sense is triggered on why this is happening so if you have an idea why please share it !

Cheers friends

Answer 1

[Juan Sagarduy]

Hi Joris

In the cylinder a new through variable comes into play: the heat exchanged with the environment. The variations of enthalpy (int.energy+p*vol) in the cylinder are due to expansion/compression in the cylinder and this exchange.

But the heat balance (heat_in = heat_fluid_cyl+heat_to_ambient) is always respected.

Hope that helped. Br Juan

[Joris Naudin]

But why is the value of specific enthalpy and temperature different between 1 and 2 ?

Since the state of the steam inside the cylinder should be the same as the line before ? Plus a single line does not have any volume so it really should carry the same information of the environment it is connected to, no ?

It's like in this poor drawing: this model being a 0-D simulation, the volume in (1) shares the same state as the volume in (2)

Answer 2

[Sarah McElman]

Hi Joris,

Yes, it can be confusing! It's possible to observe differences in measurements of the same variable between quasi-steady components (or ports) and dynamic components, or due to [numerical] conduction. You can see an example of different measurements of the same variable in a model of flow reversal here:

https://www.mathworks.com/help/physmod/hydro/ug/energy-flow-calculations.html

Additionally, you can find more information about the Simscape Fluids numerical scheme here:

https://www.mathworks.com/help/physmod/hydro/ug/simscape-fluids-numerical-scheme.html

Hope that helps,

Sarah