Pressure Drop of Bubbly Two-Phase Flow in a Square Channel at Reduced Gravity

A new set of experimental pressure drop data, collected aboard the Russian IL-76MDK, is reported for bubbly airwater two-phase flow in a square channel with a cross-sectional area of 12x 12mm(2). The present data are compared to several frequently used empirical models, e.g. homogeneous model, Lockhart-Martinelli-Chisholm correlation and Friedel's model. It is shown that the predictions of the models mentioned above are generally not satisfied. A new homogeneous model is developed based on the analysis of the characteristics of bubbly two-phase flow at reduced gravity. It is tested with the present data and other data collected by other researchers in circular pipes. Some questions related to the present model are also discussed. (C) 2002 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Application of Electrical Resistance Tomography System to Monitor Gas/Liquid Two-Phase Flow in a Horizontal Pipe

The Electrical Resistance Tomography (ERT) technique possesses great potential in monitoring widely exiting industrial two/multi-phase flow. For vertical pipe flow and inclined pipe flow, some application studies with exciting results have been reported, but there is rarely a paper regarding the application of ERT to horizontal gas/liquid pipe flow. This paper addresses this issue and proposes a smart method, Liquid Level Detection method, to conventional ERT system. The enhanced ERT system using the new method can monitor horizontal pipe flow effectively and its application is no longer restricted by the flow conditions. Some experimental results from monitoring an air/water slug pipe flow are presented.

Novel Investigation on Principle of Similarity for Microgravity Two-Phase Flow

根据两流体同心环状流线性稳定性分析的结果 ,对微重力气 /液两相流地面模拟实验所应遵循的相似准则进行了探讨 ,得到了一个新的重力无关性准则 ,即Bond数和环形区流体相的毛细数之比的绝对值不大于 1 .此外 ,微重力气 /液两相流模拟实验还必须满足两个条件 ,即流量比和气相表观Weber数应与所模拟的流动中对应数值相等 . In the present paper, the principle of similarity for two phase flows at microgravity is studied based on the results of the linear stability analysis of the two fluid concentric annular flow configuration. A new criterion of gravity independence, namely the absolute value of the ratio between the Bond number and the capillary number of the phase flowing in the annulus is no more than one, is achieved. It is also pointed out that the flowrate ratio and the gas superficial Weber number must have the same ...

Slug to annular flow transition of microgravity two-phase flow

A new model is developed for predicting the transition from the slug to annular flow of adiabatic two-phase gas/liquid flow in microgravity (mu g) environment. This model is based on the analyses of the effects of the surface tension and the gas inertia in a sense of more physical approach. The drift-flux model is applied to determine the gas void fraction near the transition region. The new model is compared with previous models and experimental data, and the results show the improvement in explanation of the experimental results.

Shock-Induced Near-Wall Two-Phase Flow Structure Over a Micron-Sized Particles Bed

The present paper studies numerical modelling of near-wall two-phase flows induced by a normal shock wave moving at a constant speed, over a micronsized particles bed. In this two-fluid model, the possibility of particle trajectory intersection is considered and a full Lagrangian formulation of the dispersed phase is introduced. The finiteness of the Reynolds and Mach numbers of the flow around a particle as well as the fineness of the particle sizes are taken into account in describing the interactions between the carrier- and dispersed- phases. For the small mass-loading ratio case, the numerical simulation of flow structure of the two phases is implemented and the profiles of the particle number density are obtained under the constant-flux condition on the wall. The effects of the shock Mach number and the particle size and material density on particle entrainment motion are discussed in detail.The obtained results indicate that interphase non-equilibrium in the velocity and temperature is a common feature for this type of flows and a local particle accumulation zone may form near the envelope of the particle trajectory family.

A further discussion on basic equations for two-phase flow: On collision stress of solid phase

The following points are argued: (i) there are two independent kinds of interaction on interfaces, i.e. the interaction between phases and the collision interaction, and the jump relations on interfaces can accordingly be resolved; (ii) the stress in a particle can also be divided into background stress and collision stress corresponding to the two kinds of interaction on interfaces respectively; (iii) the collision stress, in fact, has no jump on interface, so the averaged value of its derivative is equal to the derivative of its averaged value; (iv) the stress of solid phase in the basic equations for two\|phase flow should include the collision stress, while the stress in the expression of the inter\|phase force contains the background one only. Based on the arguments, the strict method for deriving the equations for two\|phase flow developed by Drew, Ishii et al. is generalized to the dense two\|phase flow, which involves the effect of collision stress.

On the Gas-Liquid Two-Phase Flow Regimes and their Recognition Methods

气液两相流体系是一个复杂的多变量随机过程体系,流型的定义、流型过渡准则和判别方法等方面的研究是多相流学科目前研究的重点内容。本文就与气液两相流流型及其判别有关的研究状况进行了回顾和评述,力图反映近年来气液两相流流型及其判别问题研究的状态和趋势。

Microgravity experiments of two-phase flow patterns aboard Mir Space Station

A first experimental study on two-phase how patterns at a long-term, steady microgravity condition was conducted on board the Russian Space Station "MIR" in August 1999. Carbogal and air are used as the liquid and the gas phase, respectively. Bubble, slug, slug-annular transitional, and annular hows are observed. A new region of annular how with lower liquid superficial velocity is discovered, and the region of the slug-annular transitional flow is wider than that observed by experiments on board the parabolic aircraft. The main patterns are bubble, slug-annular transitional and annular flows based on the experiments on board MIR space station. Some influences on the two-phase how patterns in the present experiments are discussed.

Gamma-Ray Attenuation Technique For Measuring Void Fraction In Horizontal Gas-Liquid Two-Phase Flow

The measurement of void fraction is of importance to the oil industry and chemical industry. In this article, the principle and mathematical method of determining the void fraction of horizontal gas-liquid flow by using a single-energy gamma-ray system is described. The gamma-ray source is the radioactive isotope of Am-241 with gamma-ray energy of 59.5 keV. The time-averaged value of the void fraction in a 50.0-mm i.d. transparent horizontal pipeline is measured under various combinations of the liquid flow and gas flow. It is found that increasing the gas flow rate at a fixed liquid flow rate would increase the void fraction. Test data are compared with the predictions of the correlations and a good agreement is found. The result shows that the designed gamma-ray system can be used for measuring the void fraction in a horizontal gas-liquid two-phase flow with high accuracy.

Two-Phase Flow In Fuel Cells In Short-Term Microgravity Condition

A visual observation of liquid-gas two-phase flow in anode channels of a direct methanol proton exchange membrane fuel cells in microgravity has been carried out in a drop tower. The anode flow bed consisted of 2 manifolds and 11 parallel straight channels. The length, width and depth of single channel with rectangular cross section was 48.0 mm, 2.5 mm and 2.0 mm, respectively. The experimental results indicated that the size of bubbles in microgravity condition is bigger than that in normal gravity. The longer the time, the bigger the bubbles. The velocity of bubbles rising is slower than that in normal gravity because buoyancy lift is very weak in microgravity. The flow pattern in anode channels could change from bubbly flow in normal gravity to slug flow in microgravity. The gas slugs blocked supply of reactants from channels to anode catalyst layer through gas diffusion layer. When the weakened mass transfer causes concentration polarization, the output performance of fuel cells declines.

Oil-Water Two-Phase Flow Inside T-Junction

The oil/water two-phase flow inside T-junctions was numerically simulated with a 3-D two-fluid model, and the turbulence was described using the mixture k - epsilon model. Some experiments of oil/water flow inside a single T-junction were conducted in the laboratory. The results show that the separating performance of T-junction largely depends oil the inlet volumetric fraction and flow patterns. A reasonable agreement is reached between the numerical simulation and the experiments for both the oil fraction distribution and the separation efficiency.

Experimental Investigation On The Holdup Distribution Of Oil-Water Two-Phase Flow In Horizontal Parallel Tubes

An experimental investigation was conducted to study the holdup distribution of oil and water two-phase flow in two parallel tubes with unequal tube diameter. Tests were performed using white oil (of viscosity 52 mPa s and density 860 kg/m(3)) and tap water as liquid phases at room temperature and atmospheric outlet pressure. Measurements were taken of water flow rates from 0.5 to 12.5 m(3)/h and input oil volume fractions from 3 to 94 %. Results showed that there were different flow pattern maps between the run and bypass tubes when oil-water two-phase flow is found in the parallel tubes. At low input fluid flow rates, a large deviation could be found on the average oil holdup between the bypass and the run tubes. However, with increased input oil fraction at constant water flow rate, the holdup at the bypass tube became close to that at the run tube. Furthermore, experimental data showed that there was no significant variation in flow pattern and holdup between the run and main tubes. In order to calculate the holdup in the form of segregated flow, the drift flux model has been used here.

Two-phase flow patterns in a 90 degrees bend at microgravity

Bends are widely used in pipelines carrying single- and two-phase fluids in both ground and space applications. In particular, they play more important role in space applications due to the extreme spatial constraints. In the present study, a set of experimental data of two-phase flow patterns and their transitions in a 90degrees bend with inner diameter of 12.7 mm. and curvature radius of 76.5 mm at microgravity conditions are reported. Gas and liquid superficial velocities are found to range from (1.0 similar to 23.6) m/s for gas and (0.09 similar to 0.5) m/s for liquid, respectively. Three major flow patterns, namely slug, slug-annular transitional, and annular flows, are observed in this study. Focusing on the differences between flow patterns in bends and their counterparts in straight pipes, detailed analyses of their characteristics are made. The transitions between adjoining flow patterns are found to be more or less the same as those in straight pipes, and can be predicted using Weber number models satisfactorily. The reasons for such agreement are carefully examined.

Modeling, numerical methods, and simulation for particle-fluid two-phase flow problems

In this paper, we study the issues of modeling, numerical methods, and simulation with comparison to experimental data for the particle-fluid two-phase flow problem involving a solid-liquid mixed medium. The physical situation being considered is a pulsed liquid fluidized bed. The mathematical model is based on the assumption of one-dimensional flows, incompressible in both particle and fluid phases, equal particle diameters, and the wall friction force on both phases being ignored. The model consists of a set of coupled differential equations describing the conservation of mass and momentum in both phases with coupling and interaction between the two phases. We demonstrate conditions under which the system is either mathematically well posed or ill posed. We consider the general model with additional physical viscosities and/or additional virtual mass forces, both of which stabilize the system. Two numerical methods, one of them is first-order accurate and the other fifth-order accurate, are used to solve the models. A change of variable technique effectively handles the changing domain and boundary conditions. The numerical methods are demonstrated to be stable and convergent through careful numerical experiments. Simulation results for realistic pulsed liquid fluidized bed are provided and compared with experimental data. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Numerical modeling of 3-D turbulent two-phase flow and coal combustion in a pulverized-coal combustor

In the present paper, a multifluid model of two-phase flows with pulverized-coal combustion, based on a continuum-trajectory model with reacting particle phase, is developed and employed to simulate the 3-D turbulent two-phase hows and combustion in a new type of pulverized-coal combustor with one primary-air jet placed along the wall of the combustor. The results show that: (1) this continuum-trajectory model with reacting particle phase can be used in practical engineering to qualitatively predict the flame stability, concentrations of gas species, possibilities of slag formation and soot deposition, etc.; (2) large recirculation zones can be created in the combustor, which is favorable to the ignition and flame stabilization.