Measurements of void fraction by an improved multi-channel conductance void meter

An improved multi-channel conductance void meter (CVM) was developed to measure a void fraction. Its measuring principle is based upon the differences in electrical conductance of a two-phase mixture due to the variation of void fraction around a sensor. The sensor is designed to be flush-mounted to the inner wall of the test section to avoid flow disturbances. The signal processor with three channels is specially designed so as to minimize inherent bias error due to the phase difference between channels. It is emphasized that the guard electrodes are electrically shielded in order not to affect the measurement of two-phase mixture conductance, but to ensure that the electrical fields are evenly distributed in the measuring volume. Void fraction is measured for bubbly and slug flow regimes in a vertical air–water flow and statistical signal processing techniques are applied to show that CVM has good dynamic resolution which is required to investigate the structural developments of bubbly flow and the propagation of void waves in a flow channel.     

Phase identification by a novel needle-contact capacitance probe in gas-liquid two-phase flows

In this paper,we propose a novel probe to identify phases in any two-phase flows where one phase is conductive and the other nonconductive.We can further obtain many parameters such as void fraction,bubble velocity,and interfacial area concentration.Compared with the traditional probe,the novel probe has unique advantages that it is less dependent on water conductance or distance between the electrodes,and that the amplitude is bigger between high and low levels.Theoretical analyses showed that the measurement error became higher when water conductance decreases or distance increases,which is consistent with the theoretical analyses.Experimental results showed that the output signal kept constant with salt content of 0-5% and electrode distance of 0-30 mm in tap water.The level difference was up to 6.4 V,resulting in identifying two phases easily.Time traces of phase identification were completely consistent with the flow structures.     

低压稳定流动闪蒸过程空泡份额分布特性分析

以低压自然循环系统内产生的闪蒸现象为研究对象,对闪蒸驱动的稳定两相自然循环流动阶段的空泡份额变化规律进行分析,通过分析发现上升段入口流体温度及水箱液位高度都会对流动闪蒸汽化过程的规律产生影响,使得空泡份额径向和轴向分布不一样。通过分析,得出影响汽化过程的主要因素是流体过热度,可知减小上升段入口流体过热度,闪蒸起始点会下移,闪蒸两相段变长;随着闪蒸汽化的不断进行,流体过热度逐渐减小,轴向空泡份额先迅速增加而后逐渐变缓,径向空泡份额分布由“壁峰”型衍变成“核峰”型。然后,然后基于流体当地过热度变化,拟合给出了不同工况下轴向空泡份额计算关系式,与实验数据对比符合较好,相对误差在±15%以内。      

A two-phase level tracking method

Interfacial closure models in most two-fluid system codes for reactor safety are usually tied to the flow regime map through the mean void fraction in a computational cell. When a void fraction discontinuity exists in a computational volume, neither heat nor momentum exchange at the phase interface for this particular cell can be properly represented in finite-difference equations governing the fluid flow. Moreover, finite-difference methods with a fixed, Eulerian grid will inaccurately predict the cell-to-cell convection of mass, momentum and energy when the mean cell macroscopic variables are convected from the cell containing the void fraction front. The adequate modeling of two-phase mixture levels requires the knowledge of front position and void fractions above and below the front. In order to obtain such information, an efficient and simple tracking method was implemented in the TRAC-BWR code (released April 1984). We have tested this method with a simple problem involving a moving two-phase air/water mixture level. The results revealed inconsistencies in the behavior of velocities, pressures and interfacial friction, and some bounded numerical oscillations. Following our numerical experiment, we developed a systematic approach to improve the two-phase level tracking method. We present this approach and the results of implementation in the TRAC-BWR code.     

光纤探针方法测量界面面积浓度实验研究

采用光纤探针测量方法对垂直上升管中空气 水两相流动的界面面积浓度（IAC）分布规律进行研究。实验选用的管径为50 mm,气相、液相折算速度分别为0.01～1 m/s和0～1 m/s。通过高速摄影获取的影像数据对光纤探针法的测量精度进行评价和标定,获得IAC径向分布。利用IAC数据对几类IAC计算模型进行评价,基于截面含气率变密度模型给出平均IAC与中心截面含气率的关系式。通过与其他实验数据进行比较,表明新关系式具有较高的计算精度。     

Development of a radio frequency excited local impedance probe

Local void fraction measurements were made with a Karlsruhe type impedance probe. The probe was operated at radio frequency to minimize sensitivity to liquid phase resistivity. Two types of signal thresholding were used: level and derivative. A dual beam X-ray system was used as a calibration standard for the radio frequency excited impedance probe. Calibration was performed in vertical air/water flows. Derivative thresholding was found to be preferable to level thresholding, however, in both schemes hydrodynamic and surface tension effects were observed below a liquid superficial velocity of 0.5 m/s.Table salt (NaCl) was added to the water to verify the probe's response to changing water resistivity. Derivative thresholding appeared to work quite well but level thresholding was found to be inadequate due to the change in capacitance.     

Experimental Study on Gas Carry-Under in Liquid Down Flow from a Two-Phase Mixture

The gas carry-under characteristics in liquid down flow from a two-phase mixture flow have been studied for various flow parameters, based on experiments with a small scale air- water system simulating the concept of a natural circulation BWR with no separators. For high void fraction in the riser, as the liquid superficial velocity jf increased to 0.17 m/s, the void fraction in the lower part of the downcomer αd increased sharply due to the descent of comparatively large bubbles (diameter: about 4–6mm). In the region of jf> 0.17m/s, on increasing jf, the void fraction αd increased until it reached a maximum value at jf.3. For liquid descending velocities higher than 0.3 m/s, αd became almost constant and the level of the mixture above the riser had little effect on the void fraction ad due to the phase separation of the large bubbles formed by bubble coalescence in the upper part of the downcomer. The void fraction αd increased as the void fraction αr increased until bubble coalescence occurred in the upper part of the downcomer, and αd became constant and independent of αr after the occurrence of bubble coalescence. Under the conditions of high void fractions in the riser, 0.4<αr<0.64 (upper limit of the tests), and high liquid descending velocities in the down-comer, 0.3 m/s<jf.<0.4 m/s (upper limit of the tests), the void fraction αd was represented by a dimensionless number (G = η⁴ g/σ³ pf) and by the upper limit of void fractions in bubbly flow, αd=0.3.     

竖直下降两相流相界面结构输运特性

竖直下降两相流具有与竖直上升两相流不同的相界面结构特征及输运特性。本文对竖直下降管内的气水两相流进行了实验研究,运用微型四头电导探针对7.5、31.5及55.5倍管径横截面处的空泡份额、相界面浓度、气泡直径、气泡频率及气泡速度等相界面结构参数的局部分布进行了测量。分析获得了相界面结构参数的沿程变化规律,并研究了气相表观流速对相界面结构发展的影响及一维相界面结构输运特性。发现竖直下降泡状流的升力指向管中心,导致相界面结构参数基本呈中心峰值分布;气相表观流速的增大会提高空泡份额和相界面浓度分布的峰度;竖直下降两相流在距入口31.5倍管径处基本达到充分发展。     

窄矩形通道内搅混流和环状流相界面参数的计算方法

空泡份额和界面浓度是两相流动中重要的相界面参数,准确获取窄矩形通道内搅混流和环状流工况下空泡份额和界面浓度是构建和完善两流体模型的关键。本文针对横截面为65 mm×2 mm的矩形通道开展了气液两相流动特性可视化实验研究,气相折算速度j_g＝1～9 m/s,液相折算速度j_f＝0.1～1.5 m/s,流型包含搅混流和环状流。提出了基于高速摄像法获取搅混流和环状流下空泡份额和界面浓度的分析计算方法,利用该方法所得空泡份额与窄矩形通道内经验关系式计算值的相对偏差约在10%以内。此计算方法可为研究复杂流型下窄矩形通道内的相界面参数提供理论依据。     

Influence or Void and Flow Regime on Liquid Metal MHD Induction Generator Using Two-Phase Flow

In the present paper, the performance characteristics of a liquid metal MHD induction converter operated with two-phase mixture flow are treated experimentally and analytically in comparison with those with single-phase liquid flow as working fluid.

The experiments were performed with a flat-linear channel induction converter, through which NaK-N₂ two-phase mixture was made to flow at a velocity ranging 5–30m/sec, with a void fraction 0–50%.

Data were taken over the following range of non-dimensional parameters:

• Reynolds number: 3.3x10⁴–2.0x10⁵ (for liquid flow alone)

• Hartmann number: 12 (with magnetic field in r.m.s. and slip S = 1)

• Baroczy's property index: 0.0031–0.023 (for two-phase flow)

The electrical power output of the experimental generator showed a sudden decrease near 20% void fraction, which was attributed to change in the flow pattern, while the generator efficiency did not show such an abrupt drop, but decreased gradually with increase of the void fraction.

Coupling the electro-magnetic equations with the power law distribution for both fluid velocity and void fraction proposed by Bankoff, we have obtained numerically the performance characteristics of the liquid metal MHD induction converter operated with two-phase flow, which provided a quite satisfactory clarification of the results obtained experimentally.     

电容法测量气—液两相流截面含气率实验研究

本文介绍了一种用于测量气-液两相流载面含气率的新型结构的电容器,并在两种条件下进行标定。结果表明,电容法的主要影响因素——空泡分布对这种结构的电容器影响不大。     

Distribution of void fraction for gas-liquid slug flow in an inclined pipe

In order to investigate the effect of inclination angle on the spatial distribution of phases,experiments on gas-liquid two-phase slug flow in an inclined pipe were carried out by using the optical probe and an EKTAPRO 1000 high speed motion analyzer.It has been demonstrated that the inclination angle and the mixture velocity are important parameters to influence the distribution of void fraction for upward slug flow in the inclined pipe.At high mixture velocity,the gas phase profile is axial symmetry in the cross-section of the pipe.This is similar to that for vertical slug flow.In contrast.most of the gas phase is located near the upper pipe wall at low mixture velocity.By measuring the axial variation of void fraction along the liquid slug.it can be concluded that there is a high void fraction wake region with length of 3-4D in the front of liquid slug.In the fully developed zone of liquid slug.the peak value of the void fraction is near the upper wall.     

Vertically Downward Two-Phase Flow, (I)

Fully developed vertically downward two-phase flow of air-water mixture was investigated on void distribution and average void fraction among the three basic flow regimes; bubbly, slug and annular flows. The annular flow further was divided into two regimes of falling film flow and annular drop flow. Test channel is in form of inverted U-tube and tests were carried out at 100 tube diameters downstream from the curved part. Distributions of local void fraction were measured by means of a conductance needle probe method and the average void fraction was obtained from numerical integration of the measured local void fraction According to the results, profiles of local void fraction in bubby and slug flows showed characteristic natures with a peak in the middle region between the center and the wall of tube The average void fraction in downward flow depended greatly on the flow regimes. Accordingly correlation for each flow regime was developed to predict the average void fraction, based on flow mechanisms and experiments. The correlations were compared with experimental results for atmospheric air-water flow and showed satisfactory agreement.     

基于竖直圆管空气-水两相流实验的相间曳力模型研究

研究两相流相间阻力特性对系统程序关键本构模型封闭具有重要意义。本文基于竖直圆管开展了空气-水两相流实验,采用四探头电导探针对空泡份额、气泡弦长和界面面积浓度等气泡参数的径向分布进行了测量。结果表明空泡份额和气泡弦长呈现“核峰型”分布,而界面面积浓度并没有表现出随流速的单调关系。进一步开发了泡状流和弹状流的相间曳力模型,考虑了液相表观流速与管径对气泡尺寸分布的影响,建立了临界韦伯数与不同液相流速的关系。计算得到的空泡份额和界面面积浓度与实验数据整体符合较好,验证了模型的可靠性,为两相流相间阻力特性研究提供参考意义。     

A numerical technique for analysis of transient two-phase flow in a vertical tube using the Drift Flux Model

This paper presents a numerical solution of one-dimensional transient two-phase flow in a vertical channel using the Drift Flux Model (DFM). The DFM treats the two phases as a mixture, but allows slippage between the gas and the liquid phase. The DFM was used for the calculation of velocity and fraction of each phase, combined with the most relevant closure relationships models for condensation, wall evaporation, and phasic velocities. The solution of the three conservation equations for the mixture and a continuity equation for the gas phases is obtained by a semi-implicit numerical method. A finite volume method is used to discretize the governing equations on a staggered grid in the computational domain. Satisfactory agreement is shown between predicted void fraction, RELAP5 code and available experimental data under both transient and steady state conditions. Numerical solution was also obtained for a wide two-phase flow conditions: system pressure, surface heat flux, mass flow rate and inlet sub-cooling to check the model ability to predict void fraction accurately. It is concluded, therefore, that the DFM is able to predict void fraction in subcooled flow boiling with sufficient accuracy. For pressures lower than 30 bars, the DFM overestimated the void fraction in comparison with the experimental data by about 15%. The model requires less computational power to simulate than other approaches and has no limitations on the nodalization process for numerical stability. It is therefore expected that development of presented model will be useful for the assessment of experimental data, as well as performing pre-test numerical experimentation.     

竖直圆管内泡状流空泡份额径向分布实验研究

常温常压下,采用光学探针测量方法,对圆管（内径50 mm）内空气 水两相竖直向上泡状流空泡份额的径向分布特性进行了实验研究。结果表明,竖直圆管内泡状流空泡份额的径向分布随气液两相表观流速不同而变化。液相流速较高时空泡份额分布呈“壁峰型”,即中心区域变化平缓,近壁区出现峰值后迅速降低;液相静止时,随气相流速增加,空泡份额增加速度沿径向向外逐渐减小,气相流速较大时分布呈“核峰型”,即空泡份额随径向位置向外呈减小趋势;液相流速较低时分布呈现出过渡型。探针测量面积加权平均空泡份额与通过重位压降得到的空泡份额的相对偏差小于10%。     

基于WMS的无旋和螺旋气液两相流流型及空泡份额实验研究

为探究气液两相流流型从无旋状态转变为螺旋状态前后的流型特征及空泡份额时空分布特性,基于高速摄影仪和自主开发的丝网传感器（WMS）测量技术,对内径为30 mm的水平管内起旋装置作用下空气-水两相流的相态时空演变特性进行了可视化实验研究。结果表明,在起旋器诱导的离心力作用下,流场内存在明显的气泡聚并行为和液滴沉积现象,其中,泡状流将转变为螺旋气柱流,塞状流转变为螺旋间歇流,弹状流转变为螺旋环状流,环状流转变为螺旋丝带流;相比于弹状流和环状流,泡状流和塞状流的截面平均空泡份额在起旋器出口波动幅值明显减弱,但离心力场并未明显改变各流型从无旋状态转变为螺旋状态前后的截面平均空泡份额。      

Influences of physical properties of two-phase mixture on voidfraction in an annular vessel

To keep the void fraction of two-phase hydrogen in the moderator cell of the cold neutron source (CNS) of China Advanced Research Reactor (CARR) to a specified range, an annular vessel with the same size as the actual moderator cell was used as test section. Deionized water and alcohol, sucrose, and sodium chloride solutions with different concentrations were used as working fluid to find out influences of physical properties, such as density, viscosity and surface tension, of the two-phase mixture on void fraction. The tests proved that the ratio of surface tension to density of liquid phase has great influence on void fraction: the larger the ratio, the smaller the void fraction. Since the ratio of surface tension to density of Freon 113 is lower than that of liquid hydrogen, Freon 113 can be used as a working fluid to study the void fraction in the two-phase hydrogen thermosiphon loop in the CNS of CARR and the results will be conservative.     

Measurement System of Bubbly Flow Using Ultrasonic Velocity Profile Monitor and Video Data Processing Unit

The authors have been developing a measurement system for bubbly flow in order to clarify its multi-dimensional flow characteristics and to offer a data base to validate numerical codes for multi-dimensional two-phase flow. In this paper, the measurement system combining an ultrasonic velocity profile monitor with a video data processing unit is proposed, which can measure simultaneously velocity profiles in both gas and liquid phases, a void fraction profile for bubbly flow in a channel, and an average bubble diameter and void fraction. Furthermore, the proposed measurement system is applied to measure flow characteristics of a bubbly countercurrent flow in a vertical rectangular channel to verify its capability.     

Effects of Mass Transfer Resistances in Fluid and Permeable Walls on Hydrogen Permeation in Tube-Type Metal Window

The gas lift pump concept based on the bubbling of an inert gas into the primary reactor coolant to enhance natural circulation is currently considered in a number of PbBi-cooled reactor concepts. Thus, the analysis of available void fraction data and the development of two-phase heavy liquid metal/gas flow calculational models have become an important issue in the study of advanced nuclear reactor systems. In the absence of the detailed two-phase flow information needed to develop a flow regime map and the associated interfacial relations, drift-flux models have often been used in the thermal-hydraulic analysis of nuclear and other systems. Accordingly, we consider, in the current paper, the analysis of five sets of experimental data with different geometries, working fluids, flow rates and void fraction ranges, with a view to obtaining a best fit to the data in the form of a drift-flux model. The results of the analysis show that, for systems with flowing fluid, it is possible to represent the heavy liquid metal void fraction data in the form of a drift-flux correlation with a residual error of as low as 0.016, thus offering an improvement over existing void correlations.