Comparison of numerical models in condensation theory

The primary purpose of this thesis is to solve equations that model the nucleation of water molecules. The equations are derived for the number of clusters (nuclei) with a given number of molecules and the rates of development of the clusters. A finite difference algorithm is formulated based on the Crank-Nicolson scheme to calculate the nonequilibrium formation of clusters. The results gathered from this procedure are compared to results from another source. Also, the numerical results are compared to the classical equation used for the formation rate of clusters. The comparison shows a slight difference between the two sets of results.

After expanding to include a full condensation model, an ultimate goal would be to incorporate the developed code into an existing Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) flow solver which then can be used to simulate condensation created for flow visualization during wind tunnel tests.