Rapid depressurization of pressure vessels

Experiments were conducted on the rapid depressurization of large pressure vessels. Measurements taken included the pressure, temperatures at a large number of positions both within the fluid phase(s) and on the wall of the vessel, and composition, all as a function of time during the blowdown process. The systems studied included subcritical and supercritical, condensing and non-condensing. From these experiments, an understanding of the physical processes involved during blowdown was evolved. This was incorporated into a mathematical model of blowdown, and implemented in a computer program. The model correctly predicts all the major phenomena observed in the experiments, as a function of time.