Effects of momentum transfer on particle dispersions of dense gas–particle two-phase turbulent flows

A modified momentum transfer coefficient of dense gas–particle two-phase turbulent flows is developed and its effect on particle dispersion characteristics in high particle concentration turbulent downer flows has been numerically simulated incorporating into a second-order moment (USM) two-phase turbulent model and the kinetic theory of granular flow (KTGF) to consider particle–particle collisions. The particle fractions, the time-averaged axial particle velocity, the particle velocities fluctuation, and their correlations between gas and particle phases based on the anisotropic behaviors and the particle collision frequency are obtained and compared using traditional momentum transfer coefficients proposed by Wen (1966), Difelice (1985), Lu (2003) and Beetstra (2007). Predicted results of presented model are in good agreement with experimental measurement by Wang et al. (1992). The particle fluctuation velocity and its fluctuation velocity correlations along axial–axial and radial–radial directions have stronger anisotropic behaviors. Furthermore, the presented model is in a better accordance with Lu’s model in light of particle axial velocity fluctuation, particle temperature, particle kinetic energy and correlations of particle–gas axial–axial velocity fluctuation. Also, they are larger than those of other models. Beetstra’s model is not suitable for this downer simulation due to the relative lower particle volume fraction, particle collision and particle kinetic energy.     

Investigation on Effect of Gravity Level on Bubble Distribution and Liquid Turbulence Modification for Horizontal Channel Bubbly Flow

Bubbly flows in the horizontal channel or pipe are often seen in industrial engineering fields, so it is very necessary to fully understand hydrodynamics of horizontal bubbly flows so as to improve industrial efficiency and to design an efficient bubbly system. In this paper, in order to fully understand mechanisms of phase distribution and liquid–phase turbulence modulation in the horizontal channel bubbly flow, the influence of gravity level on both of them were investigated in detail with the developed Euler–Lagrange two–way coupling method. For the present investigation, the buoyance on bubbles in both sides of the channel always points to the corresponding wall in order to study the liquid–phase turbulence modulation by bubbles under the symmetric physical condition. The present investigation shows that the gravity level has the important influence on the wall–normal distribution of bubbles and the liquid–phase turbulence modulation; the higher the gravity level is, the more bubbles can overcome the wall–normal resistance to accumulate near the wall, and the more obvious the liquid–phase turbulence modulation is. It is also discovered that interphase forces on the bubbles are various along the wall–normal direction, which leads to the fact that the bubble located in different wall–normal places has a different wall–normal velocity.     

Effects of higher wall roughness on dense particle–laden dispersion behaviors

To analyze the effects of higher wall roughness on dense particle–laden dispersion behaviors under reduced gravity environments, a dense gas–particle two-phase second-order-moment turbulent model are developed. In this model, the wall roughness function and the kinetic theory of granular flows are coupled and closed. Anisotropy of gas–solid two-phase stresses and the interaction between gas–particle are fully considered using two-phase Reynolds stress model and the two-phase correlation transport equation. Numerical simulation test is validated by Sommerfeld and Kussin (2003) experiments data with higher wall roughness 8.32 μm. Predicted results showed that the particle concentration distribution, particle fluctuation velocity, particle temperature and particle collision frequency are greatly affected by higher wall roughness, as well as particle Reynolds stress and interactions between gas and particle turbulent flows are redistributed. Under microgravity conditions, particle temperature and collision frequency are greatly less than those of earth and lunar gravity.     

Numerical Investigation of Bubble Induced Marangoni Convection: Some Aspects of Bubble Geometry

Thermocapillary or Marangoni convection is a surface tension driven flow that occurs when a gas–liquid or vapor–liquid interface is subjected to a temperature gradient. In the past, the contribution to local heat transfer arising from Marangoni convection has been overlooked as insignificant since under earth gravity it is overshadowed by buoyant convection. This study numerically investigates some aspects of bubble size and shape on local wall heat transfer resulting from Marangoni convection about individual bubbles on a heated wall immersed in a liquid silicone oil layer (Pr = 110) of depth 5 mm. It was found that increasing bubble volume causes an increase in the area over which Marangoni convection has affect. Heat transfer therefore increases with bubble size. Over the effective area, the surface averaged hot wall heat transfer is not affected greatly by bubble shape. The surface averaged heat transfer over the effective area on both the hot and cold walls is affected dramatically by bubble size, but the increase is more profound on the cold wall.     

Evolution of mesoscale structure in fluidized beds with non-spherical dry and wet particles

Fluidized beds with non-spherical dry and wet particles are widely used in industrial processes, and the mesoscale structure in the bed has an important influence. In this study, CFD-DEM simulations are performed to evaluate the flow behaviors and mesoscale structure in fluidized beds with non-spherical dry and wet particles. The accuracy of the model is validated by comparison with the results of the particle image velocimetry experiment. The force distributions at bubble boundaries are analyzed to explain the influence mechanism of different shapes of bubbles in non-spherical dry and wet particle systems. The factor analysis indicates the interaction of particle shape and viscous liquid on the translational and rotational kinetic energy of particles. When the bed height is low, as the particle aspect ratio increases, the bubble equivalent diameter gradually increases. In addition, as the liquid viscosity increases, the particle and bubble granular temperature gradually decrease, indicating the reduction of particle velocity fluctuate and the decrease of turbulent kinetic energy of bubble. These findings have guiding significance for the fluidization of non-spherical dry and wet particles and can be used to optimize related industrial processes.     

Design of an Experiment for the Study of Bubble Jet Interactions in Microgravity

A new experimental setup for the study of bubble coalescence and bubble jet interactions in microgravity conditions is presented. The section consists of a cavity full of liquid containing two bubble injectors whose separation distance and relative orientation angle can be controlled. Injection of bubbles is based on the generation of a slug flow in a capillary T-junction, which allows a control of bubble size and velocity by means of liquid and gas flow rates. Individual and collective behaviour of bubbles injected in the cavity has been studied. On ground results on the individual trajectories, maximum distance reached, and the delimitation between turbulence and buoyancy regions are presented. The influence on these results of the inclination angle of one injector with respect to gravity has also been considered. A good knowledge of bubble jets behaviour in microgravity will enhance the development of space technologies based on two-phase systems.     

Two-phase bubbly flows in microgravity: Some open questions

Several studies on gas-liquid pipe flows in micro gravity have been performed. They were motivated by the technical problems arising in the design of the thermohydraulic loops for the space applications. Most of the studies were focused on the determination of the flow pattern, wall shear stress, heat transfer and phase fraction and provided many empirical correlations. Unfortunately some basic mechanism are not yet well understood in micro gravity. For example the transition from bubbly to slug flow is well predicted by a critical value of the void fraction depending on an Ohnesorge number, but the criteria of transition cannot take into account the pipe length and the bubble size at the pipe inlet. To improve this criteria, a physical model of bubble coalescence in turbulent flow is used to predict the bubble size evolution along the pipe in micro gravity, but it is still limited to bubble smaller than the pipe diameter and should be extended to larger bubbles to predict the transition to slug flow. Another example concerns the radial distribution of the bubbles in pipe flow, which control the wall heat and momentum transfers. This distribution is very sensitive to gravity. On earth it is mainly controlled by the action of the lift force due to the bubble drift velocity. In micro gravity in absence of bubble drift, the bubbles are dispersed by the turbulence of the liquid and the classical model fails in the prediction of the bubble distribution. The first results of experiments and numerical simulations on isolated bubbles in normal and micro gravity conditions are presented. They should allow in the future improving the modelling of the turbulent bubbly flow in micro gravity but also on earth.     

Bubble rupture in a vibrated liquid under microgravity

The response of an air bubble surrounded by a liquid in a sealed cell submitted to vibrations was investigated experimentally under microgravity conditions and compared to experiments under normal gravity conditions. As in normal gravity [1], it was observed that the bubble split into smaller parts when the acceleration of the vibrations reached a threshold. This threshold in microgravity is substantially smaller than that in normal gravity. Experimental results are presented in terms of an acceleration based Bond number which has been found to characterize the bubble behaviour in the laboratory experiments [1].     

Numerical Simulation of Bubble Dynamics in Microgravity

A numerical method for the simulation of two-phase flows under microgravity conditions is presented in this paper. The level set method is combined with the moving mesh method in a collocated grid to capture the moving interfaces of the two-phase flow, and a SIMPLER-based method is employed to numerically solve the complete incompressible Navier-Stokes equations, and the surface tension force is modeled by a continuum surface force approximation. Based on the numerical results, the coalescence process of two bubbles under microgravity conditions (10^???2×g) is compared to that under normal gravity, and the effect of gravities on the bubbles coalescence dynamics is analyzed. It is showed that the velocity fields inside and around the bubbles under different gravity conditions are quite similar, but the strength of vortices behind the bubbles in the normal gravity is much stronger than that under microgravity conditions. It is also found that under microgravity conditions, the time for two bubbles coalescence is much longer, and the deformation of bubbles is much less, than that under the normal gravity.     

The Influence of the Gravity Force on Longwave Marangoni Patterns in Two-Layer Films

An Euler–Euler two-fluid model based on the second-order-moment closure approach and the granular kinetic theory of dense gas-particle flows was presented. Anisotropy of gas-solid two-phase stress and the interaction between two-phase stresses are fully considered by two-phase Reynolds stress model and the transport equation of two-phase stress correlation. Under the microgravity space environments, hydrodynamic characters and particle dispersion behaviors of dense gas-particle turbulence flows are numerically simulated. Simulation results of particle concentration and particle velocity are in good agreement with measurement data under earth gravity environment. Decreased gravity can decrease the particle dispersion and can weaken the particle–particle collision as well as it is in favor of producing isotropic flow structures. Moreover, axial–axial fluctuation velocity correlation of gas and particle in earth gravity is approximately 3.0 times greater than those of microgravity and it is smaller than axial particle velocity fluctuation due to larger particle inertia and the larger particle turbulence diffusions.     

Three-Dimensional Numerical Simulation of Bubble Dynamics in Microgravity under the Influence of Nonuniform Electric Fields

A three-dimensional VOSET method is used along with the adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) method to simulate the behaviors of a bubble departing from the outside wall of a horizontal square-cross-section tube in microgravity under the influence of nonuniform electric fields. The effects of gravity, electric field intensity, fluid permittivity, and bubble initial position on the bubble detachment and rising are investigated and analyzed. Computational results show that the gravity and electric fields have significant influences on the bubble detachment and rising velocity and rising trajectory. Decrease in gravity results in the decrease in the buoyancy exerted on the bubble, considerably mitigating the rising capability of the bubble and delaying the bubble detachment. Imposing a nonuniform electric field, which exhibits physically the strongest intensity in regions near the tube wall, can supply an additional driving force as a replacement of the buoyancy to accelerate the bubble detachment and rising. It is also shown that a larger electric field intensity or larger ratio of liquid permittivity to gas permittivity leads to a larger deformation, easier detachment, and larger rising velocity, of the bubble. The nonuniformity of the electric fields can also affect the bubble motion trajectory and result in the asymmetric deformation of the bubble.     

提升管管径对导流式气泡泵性能影响的理论与实验研究

基于两相流分相模型,构建气泡泵性能实验系统,以水为工质,对大气压下采用不同提升管内径的导流式气泡泵性能进行理论和实验研究。研究了加热功率100~650 W,沉浸比0.2~0.4,提升管内径7 mm、9 mm、11 mm、13mm、16 mm,提升管长600 mm工况下的气泡泵性能。结果表明,沉浸比的大小对液体提升量的多少起着关键作用;其他条件不变时,一定范围内提升管径的增加能够显著提升气泡泵的液体提升量,超过管径的临界值,效果相反,不但降低了液体提升量,气泡泵的效率也大幅减少,如加热功率300 W时,采用11 mm和16 mm管径的气泡泵液体提升量相差10.23 g/s,管径增加了5 mm,提升量减少了61.15%。     

Influence of gravity state upon bubble flow in the deep penetration molten pool of vacuum electron beam welding

The governing equations of two-dimensional bubble flow model for gas–liquid two-phase system in deep penetration molten pool of vacuum electron beam welding were developed according to the laws of mass and momentum conservation. The separation models of gas and liquid convections in bubble flow were formed by regarding the gas phase in molten pool as a particle phase, and the vacuolar fraction, velocity slip, pressure gradient and other factors were introduced into the models. The influences of the gravity state upon the convection of bubble flow and the distribution of cavity-type defects in molten pool of AZ91D magnesium alloy were studied by the method of numerical simulation based on the mathematical models. The results showed that the gravity is an important factor to drive the convection of the bubble flow in the deep penetration molten pool during vacuum electron beam welding. The gravity has an impact on the gas distribution in molten pool, thus affects the distribution of cavity-type defects in weld. Because of the gravity contributing to driving the convection of bubble flow, it is conducive to the escape of gas phase in molten pool and reducing the air rate. A larger convection velocity of gas phase is helpful to the escape of gas phase, thus reduce the tendency of cavity-type defects.     

Bubble behaviors in subcooled boiling of wetting surface under low gravity

Stainless steel plate with 30mm in length, 1 mm in width and 0.1 mm in thickness is employed for a heating surface in subcooled quasi-pool boiling of water under low gravity performed by a parabolic flight. Testing liquid subcooling is about 10K at atmospheric pressure. The wetting heating surfaces are coated with ceramics materials which have been developed by a certain glass company. DC power is applied directly into the test heating surface and the bubble behaviors are observed by a high-speed video camera. Contact angle of water droplet is about 77–96 degree for the stainless surface and 30 degree or less for the wetting surface. In the ground experiment, the size of detaching bubbles from the wetting surface is smaller than those of stainless surface and the detaching period is shorter at same heating power. The burnout heat fluxes of wetting surfaces are about 50 percent higher those of stainless surfaces. In the low gravity experiment, DC power is applied into the surface at 10 second before start of low gravity and increases slightly until burnout. A single large bubble grows on the stainless surface and finally, the surface is burned out in a short period. For wetting surface, several large coalescing bubbles appear and they move rapidly on the surface, then one of the large bubbles grows and the burnout occurs. The burnout heat fluxes are higher than those of stainless surface. The wetting ceramics surface is considered to accelerate the liquid supply and the bubble moving.     

Convective Boiling Between 2D Plates: Microgravity Influence on Bubble Growth and Detachment

The experiment detailed in this paper presents results obtained on the nucleation, growth and detachment of HFE-7100 confined vapour bubbles. Bubbles are created on an artificial nucleation site between two-dimensional plates under terrestrial and microgravity conditions. The experiments are performed by varying the shear flow by changing the convective mass flow rate, and varying the bubble nucleation rate by changing the heat flux supplied. The experiments are performed under normal (1 g) and reduced gravity (μg). The distance between the plates is equal to 1 mm. The results of these experiments are related to the detachment diameters of bubbles on the single artificial nucleation site and to the associated effects on the heat transfer by the confinement influence. The experimental device allows the observation of the flow using both visible video camera and infrared video camera. Here, we present the results obtained concerning the influence of gravity on the bubble detachment diameter and the images of 2D bubbles obtained in microgravity by means of an infrared camera. The following parameters: nucleation site surface temperature, bubble detachment diameter and bubble nucleation frequency evidence modifications due to microgravity.     

Numerical Simulation of Taylor Bubble Formation in Micro-channel by MPS Method

Moving Particle Semi-implicit (MPS) method uses particles and their interactions to simulate incompressible flow and it is a promising meshless method for multiphase flow simulation. In order to simulate the micro-bubble generation in micro-channel, surface tension model in MPS is improved by introducing fourth order central difference scheme for the calculation of unit normal vector. Numerical results for the oscillation of macro and micro droplets are in good agreement with theoretical prediction, which confirmed the validation of our model. By introducing the improved surface tension model into MPS method, the micro-bubble generation in T-shaped micro-channel was simulated successfully. The reasonable agreement between numerical simulations with visualization experiment confirmed the capacity of MPS with the improved surface tension model for the microgravity or micro-scale two-phase flow, which is dominated by surface tension effect. Finally, micro-bubble generations in different micro-channels are simulated. It is found that bubble size will decrease with increasing liquid flow rate and increase with increasing gas flow rate. Compared with 45° bifurcation micro-channel, T-shaped micro-channel can generate bubble smaller and faster.     

亚格子尺度湍流特性研究

采用大涡模拟方法模拟了雷诺数ReH=18,400的后台阶湍流流动,研究了亚格子尺度湍流动能和湍流耗散的特性。给出了后台阶湍流流动的流场结构以及亚格子湍动能和亚格子湍耗散的空间分布结果,比较了大涡模拟预报湍流粘性以及等效计算粘性。研究表明,亚格子尺度湍动能和亚格子湍耗散随着流动在空间的发展而呈现减弱趋势,回流区内亚格子湍动能和耗散较弱;在台阶截面(y/H=1处)亚格子湍动能和耗散最大。亚格子湍动能小于脉动动能统计量,亚格子粘性小于等效湍流模型粘性预报结果。     

Experimental Study of a Microchannel Bubble Injector for Microgravity Applications

We perform a quantitative characterization of a microbubble injector in conditions relevant to microgravity. The injector pregenerates a slug flow by using a capillary T-junction, whose operation is robust to changes in gravity level. We address questions regarding the performance under different injection conditions. In particular we focus on the variation of both gas and liquid flow rates. The injection performance is characterized by measuring bubble injection frequency and bubble sizes. We obtain two distinct working regimes of the injector and identify the optimal performance as the crossover region between them.     

Numerical Simulation of Condensation of Bubbles under Microgravity Conditions by Moving Mesh Method in the Double-staggered Grid

A numerical 2D method for simulation of two-phase flows including phase change under microgravity conditions is presented in this paper, with a level set method being coupled with the moving mesh method in the double-staggered grid systems. When the grid lines bend very much in a curvilinear grid, great errors may be generated by using the collocated grid or the staggered grid. So the double-staggered grid was adopted in this paper. The level set method is used to track the liquid–vapor interface. The numerical analysis is fulfilled by solving the Navier–Stokes equations using the SIMPLER method, and the surface tension force is modeled by a continuum surface force approximation. A comparison of the numerical results obtained with different numerical strategies shows that the double-staggered grid moving-mesh method presented in this paper is more accurate than that used previously in the collocated grid system. Based on the method presented in this paper, the condensation of a single bubble in the cold water under different level of gravity is simulated. The results show that the condensation process under the normal gravity condition is different from the condensation process under microgravity conditions. The whole condensation time is much longer under the normal gravity than under the microgravity conditions.