This study employs numerical simulation to investigate the mechanisms through which centrifugal nozzle structural parameters and superheated steam velocity influence steam desuperheating performance. The model accuracy was validated against factory measurement data, demonstrating a maximum deviation of only 1.07% (specifically for the outlet steam temperature in Case 2, comparing the simulated 696.65 K against the measured 704.21 K). Results indicate that the spray cone angle is the primary factor governing desuperheating efficiency, exerting a stronger influence than the droplet Sauter Mean Diameter (SMD). Specifically, the simulations identified that optimal atomization and heat transfer occur at a nozzle stem angle of 30° and a swirl hole angle of 67.5°. Furthermore, increasing the swirl chamber angle and steam velocity (> 45 m/s) markedly enhances heat exchange by promoting droplet breakup and dispersion. Based on these findings, an L9(34) orthogonal experiment was conducted to determine the optimal configuration. The resulting parameter combination – a 67.5° swirl hole, 120° swirl chamber, 30° nozzle stem, and 75 m/s steam velocity – exhibited superior performance. Compared with the original model, the optimized design reduced the droplet SMD by 22.2%, increased the spray cone angle by 3%, and improved the steam temperature reduction rate by 6.6 percentage points. This study provides a theoretical foundation for the structural optimization of high-efficiency centrifugal adjustable nozzles.
Yuan et al. (Mon,) studied this question.