Interrogating the effect of 90° bends on air–silicone oil flows using advanced instrumentation

When gas/liquid mixtures flow around a bend they are subjected to forces additional to those encountered in a straight pipe. The behaviour of the flows at the inlet and outlet of the bend depends on the orientation of the pipes. Air/silicone oil flows around a 90° bend have been investigated using advanced instrumentation: Electrical Capacitance Tomography (ECT), Wire Mesh Sensor Tomography (WMS) and high-speed video. The first two provide time and cross-sectionally resolved data on void fraction. ECT probes were mounted 10 diameters upstream of the bend whilst WMS was positioned either immediately upstream or immediately downstream of the bend. The downstream pipe was maintained horizontal whilst the upstream pipe was mounted either vertically or horizontally. The bend (R/D=2.3) was made of transparent acrylic resin. From an analysis of the output from the tomography equipment, flow patterns were identified using both the reconstructed images as well as the characteristic signatures of Probability Density Function (PDF) plots of the time series of cross-sectionally averaged void fraction as suggested by Costigan and Whalley (1996). The superficial velocities of the air ranged from 0.05 to 4.73 m/s and for the silicone oil from 0.05 to 0.38 m/s. Bubble/spherical cap, slug, unstable slug and churn flows were observed before the bend for the vertical pipe and plug, slug, stratified wavy and annular flows when the pipe was horizontal. Bubble, stratified wavy, slug, semi-annular and annular flows are seen after the bend for the vertical 90° bend whilst for the horizontal 90° bend, the flow patterns remained the same as before the bend. Flow patterns for the vertical and horizontal 90° bends are shown on the diagram of the gas superficial velocity versus liquid superficial velocity. These results are confirmed by the high-speed videos taken around the bend. A previously proposed criterion, to determine stratification after the bend, based on a modified Froude number have been shown to be valid for a liquid different from that tested in the original paper.     

BUBBLE AND SLUG FLOW AT MICROGRAVITY CONDITIONS: STATE OF KNOWLEDGE AND OPEN QUESTIONS

Based on the experiments carried out over the past decade at microgravity conditions, an overview of our current knowledge of bubbly and slug flows is presented. The transition from bubble to slug flow, the void fraction and the pressure drop are discussed from the data collected in the literature. The transition from bubble to slug flow may be predicted by introducing a critical void fraction that depends on the fluid properties and the pipe diameter: however, the role of coalescence which controls this transition is not clearly understood. The void fraction may be accurately calculated using a drift-flux model: it is shown from local measurements that the drift of the gas with respect to the mixture is due to the non uniform radial distribution of void fraction. The pressuredrop happens to be controlled by the liquid flow for bubbly flow whereas for slug flow the experimental results show that pressure drops is larger than expected. From this study, the guidelines for future research in microgravity are given.     

Numerical simulation of churn flow in a vertical pipe

A numerical simulation of the churn flow regime of air-water and R134a vapour-liquid mixtures by means of the volume of fluid (VOF) method is presented. The focus of the paper is on the inlet region of a vertical pipe. An axisymmetrical domain is used, reproducing the region next to the porous wall liquid injector of a typical test section for the investigation of vertical gas-liquid flows.A simplified model of the levitation process of the ring-type waves typical in churn flow is proposed. The influence of the gas Froude number on the waves amplitude is shown by means of the simplified model and used to explain the numerical results.A comparison of the numerical results with experimental wave frequency data and visualizations available in the literature is performed. The velocity field in the forming wave region and the pressure and shear stress variations along the interface are shown.Simulations have been performed at different liquid and gas superficial velocities and pipe diameters and the influence of these parameters on the gas-liquid interface is discussed.     

CFD modeling and validation for two-phase medium viscosity oil-air flow in horizontal pipes

This study presents the results of a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation of two-phase medium viscosity oil-air flow in a 50.8?mm internal diameter horizontal pipe. Void fraction and pressure gradient predictions were validated using experimental data for four different oil viscosities (0.039, 0.06, 0.108 and 0.166?Pa s) and different flow rates varying from 0.1 to 2.9?m/s for the gas phase and from 0.01 to 2.95?m/s for the liquid phase, where four flow patterns were predicted (stratified, dispersed bubble, bubble elongated and slug flow). The obtained results of void fraction and pressure gradient presented a mean relative error of 30.04 and 21.38%, respectively. Furthermore, the CFD results were compared against 66 empirical correlations and predictions from OLGA. It was found that between the three studied methods (CFD, OLGA and empirical correlations) the CFD model outperformed the other two methods regarding the predicted flow patterns, pressure gradients and void fractions on most cases.     

Tomographic imaging of counter-current bubbly flow by wire mesh tomography

The objective of this work is to investigate characteristics of counter-current bubbly flow in a circular pipe with an inner diameter of 50 mm by using wire mesh tomography (WMT). The accuracy of WMT on void fraction measurement is also clarified by comparing the result with a non-intrusive optical method. The accuracy is within ±10%. Local void fractions of many flow conditions are reported. Local void fraction profile affected by superficial liquid velocity and bubble size is shown and discussed. Furthermore, intrusive effects, including bubble break-up and bubble deceleration, are also investigated. Bubbles passing a transparent wire mesh sensor (WMS) are investigated by the optical method. It is shown that bubbles are broken and decelerated by wires of the sensor. It can be concluded that the bubble break-up rate increase with increasing of bubble velocity. However, the bubble deceleration is not depending on the bubble velocity.     

Modeling the pressure drop of wet gas in horizontal pipe

A model for gas-liquid annular and stratified flow through a horizontal pipe is investigated,using the two-phase hydrokinetics theory.Taking into consideration the flow factors including the void fraction,the friction between the two phases and the entrainment in the gas core,the one-dimensional momentum equation for gas has been solved.The differential pressure of the wet gas between the two tapings in the straight pipe has been modeled in the pressure range of 0.1-0.8 MPa.In addition a more objective iteration approach to determine the local void fraction is proposed.Compared with the experimental data,more than 83％ deviation of the test data distributed evenly within the band of ± 10％.Since the model is less dependent on the specific empirical apparatus and data,it forms the foundation for further establishing a flow measurement model of wet gas which will produce fewer biases in results when it is extrapolated.     

Destabilisation of homogeneous bubbly flow in an annular gap bubble column

Experimental results are presented to show that there are very significant differences in the mean gas void fractions measured in an open tube and a annular gap bubble column, when operated at the same gas superficial velocity, using a porous sparger. Measurements were carried out in a vertical 0.102 m internal diameter column, with a range of concentric inner tubes to form an annular gap, giving diameter ratios from 0.25 to 0.69; gas superficial velocities in the range 0.014–0.200 m/s were investigated. The mean gas void fraction decreases with increasing ratio of the inner to outer diameter of the annular gap column and the transition to heterogeneous flow occurs at lower gas superficial velocities and lower void fractions. Two reasons are proposed and validated by experimental investigations: (1) the presence of the inner tube causes large bubbles to form near the sparger, which destabilise the homogeneous bubbly flow and reduce the mean void fraction; this was confirmed by deliberately injecting large bubbles into a homogeneous dispersion of smaller bubbles, and (2) the shape of the void fraction profiles changes with gap geometry and this affects the distribution parameter in the drift‐flux model. Both of these effects serve to reduce the mean gas void fraction in an annular gap bubble column compared to an open tube at the same gas superficial velocity.     

Interfacial Shear Stress of Stratified Flow in a Horizontal Pipe

Experimented data are presented for the void fraction aud the shear stresses of stratified gas-liquid flow in a pipe, A new technique was used to measure the interface shear strew. The interfacial shear stress was determined by using two methods: a momentum balance of gas and an extrapolation of the Reynolds shear stress prone at the gas-liquld interface. A new formula ,relatiog to the interfacial friction factor with the void fraction and superficiol gas Rcynold number, was dewloped to predict the interface shear stress. The predicted values are in good agreement with experimental data.     

Gas flow regime changes in a bubble column filled with a fibre suspension

Gas flow characteristics in opaque fibre suspensions have been captured on film using a stop‐motion X‐ray imaging technique called flash X‐ray radiography (FXR). Gas flows in a bubble column filled with various cellulose fibre suspensions from 0% (an air–water system) to 5% by mass have been observed. The gas flow regime changes from vortical to churn‐turbulent as the fibre concentration increases for a fixed superficial gas velocity. Two new gas flow regimes, identified as surge churn‐turbulent and discrete channel flow, have also been recorded at high fibre concentrations.     

Gas–liquid flows through porous media in microgravity: Packed Bed Reactor Experiment-2

Modifications were made to the Packed Bed Reactor Experiment (PBRE) and flown on the International Space Station as PBRE-2 to eliminate external pressure oscillations at higher liquid flow rates and the packing diameter was reduced to increase the pressure gradient for lower flows. It is found that gas hold-up is a function of bed history at low liquid and gas flow rates whereas higher gas hold-up and pressure gradients are observed for the test conditions following a liquid only pre-flow compared to the test conditions following a gas only pre-flow period. Over the range of flow rates tested, the capillary force is the dominant contributor to the pressure gradient, which is found to be linear with the superficial liquid velocity but is a much weaker function of the superficial gas velocity and varies inversely with the particle diameter.     

An experimental study of gas void fraction in dilute alcohol solutions in annular gap bubble columns using a four-point conductivity probe

The influence of alcohol concentration on the gas void fraction in open tube and annular gap bubble columns has been investigated using a vertical column with an internal diameter of 0.102 m, containing a range of concentric inner tubes, which formed an annular gap; the inner tubes had diameter ratios from 0.25 to 0.69. Gas (air) superficial velocities in the range 0.014–0.200 m/s were investigated. Tap water and aqueous solutions of ethanol and isopropanol, with concentrations in the range 8–300 ppm by mass, were used as the working liquids. Radial profiles of the local void fraction were obtained using a four-point conductivity probe and were cross-sectionally averaged to give mean values that were within 12% of the volume-averaged gas void fractions obtained from changes in the aerated level. The presence of alcohol inhibited the coalescence between the bubbles and consequently increased the mean gas void fraction at a given gas superficial velocity in both the open tube and the annular gap bubble columns. This effect also extended the range of homogeneous bubbly flow and delayed the transition to heterogeneous flow. Moreover, isopropanol results gave slightly higher mean void fractions compared to those for ethanol at the same mass fraction, due to their increased carbon chain length. It was shown that the void fraction profiles in the annular gap bubble column were far from uniform, leading to lower mean void fractions than were obtained in an open tube for the same gas superficial velocity and liquid composition.     

基于截面气含率的文丘里湿气压降模型

运用两相流理论对湿气中的气相与液相流动进行分析,在分层流与环雾状流的条件下推导了两相流通过水平标准文丘里流量计的理论模型.通过分别考虑截面气含率、相间摩擦以及液滴夹带等因素,在文丘里轴向对湿气流动中的气相动量方程进行求解.通过对水平直管中的截面气含率公式进行修正,建立了适用于收缩管道的截面气含率模型,并在此基础上模拟了湿气流经标准文丘里时其两个取压孔之间的轴向静压分布.实验证实,使用修正后的截面气含率公式将使模型对文丘里压降的预测准确度明显提升,其相对误差在15%以内.该模型以湿气两相流在水平文丘里中的流动形态为依据,具有较充分的物理背景,而且在推导过程中较少依赖特定实验装置与数据,为建立具有一定普适性的文丘里湿气计量模型奠定了基础.     

Improved Void Fraction Correlation for Two‐Phase Flow in Large‐Diameter Annuli

A flow pattern‐independent void fraction correlation for gas‐liquid two‐phase flow in vertical large‐diameter annuli is established. Two equations are proposed for the parameters of a drift flux model‐based correlation: the distribution parameter and the drift flux velocity. These equations are expressed as a function of two‐phase flow variables including void fraction, fluid properties, pipe geometry, and phase flow rates. Experiments were performed to study the void fraction of vertical air‐water two‐phase flow in large‐diameter annuli. The obtained experimental data along with the literature data of Caetano are used to verify the performance of the proposed void fraction correlation. The accuracy of this correlation is compared with nineteen frequently used correlations in literature. The proposed correlation was found to predict the void fraction consistently with a better accuracy.     

Solids flow mapping in a high pressure slurry bubble column

Successful design and scale-up of Slurry Bubble Column Reactors (SBCRs) require proper understanding of how operating conditions affect their flow behavior. Presently, there is little information on the flow dynamics of solids (e.g., distribution of velocities and turbulent parameters) in slurry systems that are operated at industrially relevant conditions of high pressure, high superficial gas velocities, and high solids loading.Computer Automated Radio Particle Tracking (CARPT) is widely recognized as one of a few techniques that can be reliably used even in highly turbulent and opaque slurry flows. This work utilizes an improved CARPT technique to investigate the effect of reactor pressure (0.1-1 MPa) and superficial gas velocity (0.08-0.45 m/s) on solids phase velocity and shear stress in a pilot scale 0.16 m diameter stainless steel column using an air-water-glass beads () system. The solids axial velocity and shear stress were found to increase noticeably with pressure and superficial gas velocity in the churn turbulent flow regime.     

Effects of sparger geometry on the mechanism of flow pattern transition in a bubble column

Electrical resistance tomography (ERT) is used to measure void fraction wave characteristics and to identify flow pattern in a bubble column reactor (0.24 m diameter, 2.75 m height). The effects of column pressure and superficial gas velocities for different sparger geometry and for different flow pattern have been investigated. The ERT sensor can distinguish the void fraction disturbances in different flow regimes with a good clarity. The holdup derived from ERT is in good agreement with the hold-up values measured by pressure transmitters. Different flow regimes have been identified based on void fraction properties and wall pressure fluctuations. The spectral analysis of ERT measurements yields quantitative information, such as a characteristic time and a characteristic frequency of void fraction waves, which are closely related to flow structure in the prevailing regime. The experimental observations are compared with the literature.     

A Simple Model for Predicting the Two-Phase Heavy Crude Oil Horizontal Flow with Low Gas Fraction

A two-phase heavy crude oil flow with low gas fraction is common in the oil transportation process. However, most of the studies of a gas–liquid flow are based on low viscosity fluid, such as water and light oil; as a result, the results cannot be introduced successfully into the mixture flow of gas and heavy crude oil. In this work, a two-phase flow of gas and heavy crude oil, which originated from the Bo-hai oilfield in China, was investigated in a horizontal pipe with 47-mm inner diameter. Data were acquired for the oil flow rate ranging from 2 m³/h to 10 m³/h, the input gas volume fraction ranging from 0.01 to 0.15, and the viscosity of crude oil ranging from 2.41 Pa·s to 0.34 Pa · s. Based on the drift-flux model, a new simplified correlation was developed to predict the void fraction and the pressure gradient. A comparison between the predicted and measured data demonstrates a reasonable agreement, and the correlation might be helpful for practical application in industry, especially in initially estimating the flow characteristic parameters.     

Void fraction measurement and calculation model of vertical upward co-current air–water slug flow

The focus of this paper is on the measurement and calculation model of void fraction for the vertical upward co-current air–water slug flow in a circular tube of 15 mm inner diameter. High-speed photography and optical probes were utilized, with water superficial velocity ranging from 0.089 to 0.65 m·s^-1 and gas superficial velocity ranging from 0.049 to 0.65 m·s^-1. A new void fraction model based on the local parameters was proposed, disposing the slug flow as a combination of Taylor bubbles and liquid slugs. In the Taylor bubble region, correction factors of liquid film thickness C_δ and nose shape C_Z^* were proposed to calculate α_TB. In the liquid slug region, the radial void fraction distribution profiles were obtained to calculate α_LS, by employing the image processing technique based on supervised machine learning. Results showed that the void fraction proportion in Taylor bubbles occupied crucial contribution to the overall void fraction. Multiple types of void fraction predictive correlations were assessed using the present data. The performance of the Schmidt model was optimal, while some models for slug flow performed not outstanding. Additionally, a predictive correlation was correlated between the central local void fraction and the cross-sectional averaged void fraction, as a straightforward form of the void fraction calculation model. The predictive correlation showed a good agreement with the present experimental data, as well as the data of Olerni et al., indicating that the new model was effective and applicable under the slug flow conditions.     

垂直同心环形管内上升气液两相环状流含气率与压降预测

对垂直同心环形管内上升气液环状流的截面含气率及压降预测进行了研究.根据Kelessidis有关团状流向环状流转换的思路以及Wallis有关圆管内环状流积分分析的方法,考虑环形管的结构特征及环状流的流型特征,通过两相动力学理论建立了新的预测截面含气率及总压降的模型.将新模型及现有模型与实验数据的分析比较表明新模型对于总压降的预测效果较好.     

On the prediction of the phase distribution of bubbly flow in a horizontal pipe

Horizontal bubbly flow is widely encountered in various industrial systems because of its ability to provide large interfacial areas for heat and mass transfer. Nonetheless, this particular flow orientation has received less attention when compared to vertical bubbly flow. Owing to the strong influence due to buoyancy, the migration of dispersed bubbles towards the top wall of the horizontal pipe generally causes a highly asymmetrical internal phase distributions, which are not experienced in vertical bubbly flow. In this study, the internal phase distribution of air-water bubbly flow in a long horizontal pipe with an inner diameter of 50.3 mm has been predicted using the population balance model based on direct quadrature method of moments (DQMOM) and multiple-size group (MUSIG) model. The predicted local radial distributions of gas void fraction, liquid velocity and interfacial area concentration have been validated against the experimental data of Kocamustafaogullari and Huang (1994). In general, satisfactory agreements between predicted and measured results were achieved. The numerical results indicated that the gas void fraction and interfacial area concentration have a unique internal structure with a prevailing maximum peak near the top wall of the pipe due to buoyancy effect.     

Influence of impeller diameter on local gas dispersion properties in a sparged multi-impeller stirred tank☆

Vertical distributions of local void fraction and bubble size in alr–water dispersion system were measured with a dual conductivity probe in a fully baffled dished base stirred vessel with the diameter T of 0.48 m, holding 0.134 m3 liquid. The impel er combination with a six parabolic blade disk turbine below two down-pumping hy-drofoil propel ers, identified as PDT+2CBY, was used in this study. The effects of the impel er diameter D, rang-ing from 0.30T to 0.40T (corresponding to D/T from 0.30 to 0.40), on the local void fraction and bubble size were investigated by both experimental and CFD simulation methods. At low superficial gas velocity VS of 0.0077 m·s?1, there is no obvious difference in the local void fraction distribution for al systems with different D/T. However, at high superficial gas velocity, the system with a D/T of 0.30 leads to higher local void fraction than systems with other D/T. There is no significant variation in the axial distribution of the Sauter mean bubble size for al the systems with different D/T at the same gas superficial velocity. CFD simulation based on the two-fluid model along with the population balance model (PBM) was used to investigate the effect of the impel er diameter on the gas–liquid flows. The local void fraction predicted by the numerical simulation approach was in reasonable agreement with the experimental data.