Experiment and numerical simulation of bubbly two-phase flow across horizontal and inclined rod bundles

Experimental and numerical analyses were carried out on vertically upward air-water bubbly two-phase flow behavior in both horizontal and inclined rod bundles with either in-line or staggered array. The inclination angle of the rod bundle varied from 0 to 60° with respect to the horizontal. The measured phase distributions indicated non-uniform characteristics, particularly in the direction of the rod axis when the rods were inclined. The mechanisms for this non-uniform phase distribution is supposed to be due to: (1) Bubble segregation phenomenon which depends on the bubble size and shape; (2) bubble entrainment by the large scale secondary flow induced by the pressure gradient in the horizontal direction which crosses the rod bundle; (3) effects of bubble entrapment by vortices generated in the wake behind the rods which travel upward along the rod axis; and (4) effect of bubble entrainment by local flows sliding up along the front surface of the rods. The liquid velocity and turbulence distributions were also measured and discussed. In these speculations, the mechanisms for bubble bouncing at the curved rod surface and turbulence production induced by a bubble were discussed, based on visual observations. Finally, the bubble behaviors in vertically upward bubbly two-phase flow across horizontal rod bundle were analyzed based on a particle tracking method (one-way coupling). The predicted bubble trajectories clearly indicated the bubble entrapment by vortices in the wake region.     

A three-dimensional particle tracking method for bubbly flow simulation

A numerical method for solving a three-dimensional bubbly flow was proposed. The method is based on a two-way particle tracking method, which takes into account the effect of bubbles on the liquid phase and vice versa. In order to demonstrate the potential of the method, laminar bubbly upflow in a vertical duct was simulated using the Eötvös number and bubble size distribution as parameters. As a result, we could obtain typical bubble distributions in a bubbly flow and a void wave in the flow direction as well. It was also confirmed that the method can give good predictions for bubble-induced liquid velocity fields, provided that the bubble size is greater than the size of the computational cell for calculating the liquid phase.     

Visualization and measurement of two-phase flow by using neutron radiography

To apply neutron radiography (NR) technique to fluid research, high frame-rate NR with a steady thermal neutron beam has been developed in the present research program by assembling up-to-date technologies for neutron source, scintillator, high-speed video and image intensifier. This imaging system has many advantages such as a long recording time (up to 21 min), high-frame-rate (up to 1000 frames s⁻¹) imaging and no need for triggering signal. Visualization of air-water two-phase flow in a metallic duct was performed at the recording speeds of 250, 500 and 1000 frames s⁻¹. The qualities of those consecutive images were good enough to observe and measure the flow structure and the characteristics. It was demonstrated also that some characteristics of two-phase flow could be measured by using the present imaging system. Image processing technique enabled measurements of various flow characteristics in two ways. By utilizing geometrical information extracted from NR images, data on flow regime, rising velocity of bubbles, and wave height and interfacial area in annular flow were obtained. By utilizing attenuation characteristics of neutrons in materials, measurements of void profile and average void fraction were performed. It was confirmed that this new technique may have significant advantages both in visualizing and measuring high-speed fluid phenomena when the other methods such as an optical method and X-ray radiography cannot be applicable.     

垂直上升管内两相流空泡份额径向分布

对于两相流空泡份额分布的实验研究,通常只能在有限工况下进行,而对其基本现象的描述也仅局限于特定的实验工况。为此,本文总结分析了以往一些研究者的实验结果,对圆管内垂直上升两相流空泡份额的径向分布情况进行了比较系统的描述。根据这些结果,进一步分析得出了典型的垂直上升流中空泡份额径向分布曲线与流型的对应关系,通过与已有实验结果的比较,说明该对应关系无论从实验结果还是机理解释上都是可信的。     

Wave propagation in two-phase flow of magnetic fluid under a nonuniform magnetic field

The effect of nonuniform magnetic field on the linear and nonlinear wave propagation phenomena in two-phase pipe flow of magnetic fluid is investigated theoretically to realize the effective energy conversion system using boiling two-phase flow of magnetic fluid. Firstly, the governing equations of two-phase flow based on the unsteady thermal nonequilibrium two-fluid model are presented and the linear void wave propagation phenomena in boiling two-phase flow are numerically analyzed by using the finite volume method. Next, the nonlinear pressure wave propagation in gas-liquid two-phase flow is numerically analyzed by using the finite different method. According to these theoretical studies on the wave propagation phenomena in two-phase flow of magnetic fluid, it seems to be a reasonable proposal that the precise control of the wave propagation in two-phase flow is possible by effective use of the magnetic force.     

Gas–liquid two-phase flow in narrow horizontal annuli

Experimental data associated with the two-phase flow regimes, void fraction and pressure drop in horizontal, narrow, concentric annuli are presented. Two transparent test sections, one with inner and outer diameters of 6.6 and 8.6 mm, and an overall length of 46.0 cm; the other with 33.2 and 35.2 mm diameters and 43.0 cm length, respectively, were used. Near-atmospheric air and water constituted the gas and liquid phases, respectively. The gas and liquid superficial velocities were varied in the 0.02–57 and 0.1–6.1 m s⁻¹ ranges, respectively. The major two-phase flow patterns observed included bubbly, slug/plug, churn, stratified, and annular. Transitional regimes, where the characteristics of two distinct flow regimes could be observed in the test sections, included bubbly-plug, stratified-slug and annular-slug. The obtained flow regime maps were different than flow regime maps typical of large horizontal channels and microchannels with circular cross-sections. They were also different from the flow regimes in rectangular thin channels. The measured average void fractions for the two test sections were compared with predictions of several empirical correlations. Overall, a correlation proposed by Butterworth [Butterworth, D., 1975. A comparison of some void fraction relationships for co-current gas–liquid flow. Int. J. Multiphase Flow 1, 845–850] based on the results of Lockhart and Martinelli (1949) provided the most accurate prediction of the measured void fractions. The measured pressure drops were compared with predictions of several empirical correlations. The correlation of Friedel [Friedel, L., 1979. Improved friction pressure drop correlations for horizontal and vertical two-phase pipe flow. 3R Int. 18, 485–492] was found to provide the best overall agreement with the data.     

Direct numerical simulation of the basic phase-interactions in liquid turbulent channel flow with immiscible droplets

A direct numerical simulation has been carried out for a turbulent liquid channel flow with immiscible droplets. In the simulation, a second-order finite difference scheme has been used to discretise the governing equations. A modified volume-of-fluid method has been adopted to predict the location of the phase interface. The computational results show that each droplet exhibits different deformation and induces different velocities. The deformations of the droplets are found to be consistent with the local topological structure of turbulence. Therefore, a topological zone classification for the local structure of near-interface turbulence is effective for understanding the basic interactions of the flow.     

中压沸腾工况相径向分布实验研究

采用高温高压单探头光学探针．在中压沸腾工况下进行了局部空泡率与汽泡频率径向分布特性实验研究,并根据探针信号对两相流流型进行了识别,分析了中压沸腾工况下空泡率径向分布与流型的关系。研究结果表明：随热平衡含汽率增加,整个直径方向上空泡率分布从近U形向鞍形和弧形发展;汽泡频率则以近U形分布为主;泡状流工况下,空泡率呈U形或近壁区显著高于中心区的鞍形分布,弹状流工况下,中心区空泡率略低于近壁区。整个直径上空泡率呈弧形分布。     

The turbulent mixing rate and the fluctuations of static pressure difference between adjacent subchannels in a two-phase subchannel flow

Turbulent mixing rate between adjacent subchannels in a two-phase flow has been known to be strongly dependent on the flow pattern. In this study, flow visualization was made to investigate the mechanism of the turbulent mixing between subchannels in a two-phase flow under hydrodynamic equilibrium conditions. The test channel was a vertical multiple channel consisting of two identical rectangular subchannels, and the working fluids were air and water. It was observed in slug-churn flows that a large scale inter-subchannel liquid flow occurs in front of the nose of a large gas bubble and behind the tail when the bubble axially passes through the subchannel, and thus a high turbulent mixing rate of the liquid phase results. In order to know driving force of such a large scale inter-subchannel flow, measurement of instantaneous static pressure difference between the subchannels was also made. The result showed that there is a close relationship between the liquid phase turbulent mixing rate and the magnitude of the pressure difference fluctuations.     

Local measurement of bubbly flow in helically coiled tubes using double-sensor conductivity probe

ABSTRACT

The two-phase flow in helically coiled tubes (HCTs) is rather important in many industries, such as the heat exchange facility in nuclear power plant. In this work, a double-sensor conductivity probe was used to study the air/water bubbly flow in HCTs. The cross-sectional distribution profile of the interfacial parameters (void fraction, interfacial area concentration, bubble size, etc.) of air–water bubbly flow were systematically studied. Through carefully processing the raw data collected by the double-sensor conductivity probe, the distribution of the void fraction, interfacial area concentration, the bubbles number frequency over the cross-section are demonstrated, as well as the bubble velocities and sizes vertically in the dense region. Some statistical parameters of cross-sectional-averaged quantities, coefficients of variation, and bubble aggregation core coordinates are defined to quantitatively describe the distribution characteristics of interfacial parameters. The measured data are helpful for improving the understanding of two-phase flow characteristics in HCTs.     

Non-linear dynamics of a two phase flow system in an evaporator: The effects of (i) a time varying pressure drop (ii) an axially varying heat flux

In this paper we study the phenomena of density wave oscillations (DWO) in a vertical heated channel. The homogeneous equilibrium model is used to simulate the flow in the two-phase region. The equations are solved numerically using a ‘shooting-method' technique. This in its turn employs an implicit backward finite difference scheme. The scheme can incorporate the movement of the interface. It is very elegant and does not involve storage of variables in large N×N matrices. This scheme is sufficiently general and can be used to simulate the dynamic behaviour when: (i) the heat flux imposed at the surface is non-constant, i.e. exhibits an axial variation; and (ii) the imposed pressure drop is varied periodically at a fixed frequency. A possible explanation for the conflicting reports of the effect of a periodic variation in heat flux is provided using a linear stability analysis and the D-partition method. The interaction of the natural frequency of the DWO and the fixed forcing frequency of the imposed pressure drop gives rise to various phenomena viz relaxation oscillations, sub-harmonic oscillations, quasi-periodic and chaotic solutions. To aid the experimentalist describe this infinite-dimensional system on the basis of his experimental results we discuss the characterisation using only the velocity time series data. This is done employing the method of delay coordinate embedding. The phase portraits, stroboscopic map and correlation dimension of the actual attractor are compared with that of the reconstructed attractor from the velocity time series.