2023/10/18 18:14 General resistance in a two-phase fluid branch - MATLAB - MathWorks 中国

Flow Resistance (2P)

Library: Simscape / Foundation Library / Two-Phase Fluid / Elements

Description
The Flow Resistance (2P) block models a general pressure drop in a two-phase fluid network branch.
The pressure drop is proportional to the square of the mass flow rate and to the density of the two-
phase fluid. The constant of proportionality is determined from a nominal operating condition
specified in the block dialog box.

Use this block when the only data available for a component is its pressure drop as a function of its
mass flow rate. Combine the block with others to create a custom component that more accurately
captures the pressure drop that it induces—for example, a heat exchanger based on a chamber
block.

Mass Balance
The volume of fluid inside the flow resistance is assumed to be negligible. The mass flow rate in
through one port must then exactly equal the mass flow rate out through the other port:

ṁA + ṁB = 0,

where ṁA and ṁB are defined as the mass flow rates into the component through ports A and B,
respectively.

Energy Balance
Energy can enter and leave the flow resistance through the two-phase fluid ports only. No heat
exchange occurs between the wall and the environment. In addition, no work is done on or by the
fluid. The energy flow rate in through one port must then exactly equal the energy flow rate out
through the other port:

ϕA + ϕB = 0,

where ϕA and ϕB are the energy flow rates into the flow resistance through ports A and B.

Momentum Balance
The relevant external forces on the fluid include those due to pressure at the ports and those due to
viscous friction at the component walls. Gravity is ignored as are other body forces. Expressing the
frictional forces in terms of a loss factor ξ yields the semi-empirical expression:

2
νṁ
Δp = ξ ,
2
2S

https://ww2.mathworks.cn/help/releases/R2022a/physmod/simscape/ref/flowresistance2p.html 1/5
2023/10/18 18:14 General resistance in a two-phase fluid branch - MATLAB - MathWorks 中国

where:

Δp is the pressure drop from port A to port B—that is, pA + pB.

ξ is the loss factor.

ν is the specific volume, the inverse of the mass density ρ—that is, 1/ρ.

S is the flow area.

The pressure drop equation is implemented with two modifications. First, to allow for a change in
sign upon reversal of flow direction, it is rewritten:

νṁ∣ṁ∣
Δp = ξ ,
2
2S

where the pressure drop is positive only if the mass flow rate is too. Second, to eliminate
singularities due to flow reversal—singularities that can pose a challenge for numerical solvers
during simulation—it is linearized in a small region of near-zero flow:

2 2
νṁ ṁ + ​
ṁ
√ Th
Δp = ξ ,
2
2S

where ṁTh is a threshold mass flow rate below which the pressure drop is linearized. The figure
shows the modified pressure drop against the local mass flow rate (curve I):

Above ṁTh , the pressure drop approximates that expressed in the original equation (curve II) and
it varies with ṁ
2
. This dependence is commensurate with that observed in turbulent flows.

Below ṁTh , the pressure drop approximates a straight line with slope partly dependent on ṁTh
(curve III) and it varies with ṁ . This dependence is commensurate with that observed in laminar
flows.

For ease of modeling, the loss factor ξ is not required as a block parameter. Instead, it is
automatically computed from the nominal condition specified in the block dialog box:

Δp∗
ξ
= 2,
2
2S ν∗ṁ
∗

where the asterisk (*) denotes a value at the nominal operating condition. Underlying all of these
calculations is the assumption that the threshold mass flow rate ṁTh is much smaller than the
nominal value . Replacing the fraction ξ/(2S in the expression for the pressure drop yields:
2
ṁ∗ )

https://ww2.mathworks.cn/help/releases/R2022a/physmod/simscape/ref/flowresistance2p.html 2/5
2023/10/18 18:14 General resistance in a two-phase fluid branch - MATLAB - MathWorks 中国
νΔp∗
2 2
Δp = 2 (ṁ √ṁ + ṁ .
Th)
ν∗ṁ
∗

or, equivalently:

2 2
Δ p = Cνṁ ṁ + ṁ ,
√ Th

where C is a constant of proportionality between the pressure drop across the flow resistance and
the local mass flow rate. It is defined as:

Δp∗

C = 2.
ν∗ṁ
∗

If the specific volume—and therefore the mass density—is assumed to be invariant, then its nominal
and actual values must always be equal. This is the case whenever the nominal value is specified in
the block dialog box as 0—a special value used to signal to the block that the specific volume is a
constant. The ratio of the two is then 1 and the product Cν reduces to:

Δp∗

Cν = 2 .
ṁ
∗

Ports

Conserving expand all

 A — Flow resistance port

 B — Flow resistance port

Parameters expand all

 Nominal pressure drop — Pressure drop at a known operating condition

 Nominal mass flow rate — Mass flow rate at a known operating condition
0.1 kg/s (default) | scalar with units of mass/time

 Nominal specific volume — Specific volume at a known operating condition

Cross-sectional area at ports A and B — Flow area at the ports of the flow
resistance


https://ww2.mathworks.cn/help/releases/R2022a/physmod/simscape/ref/flowresistance2p.html 3/5