A New Device for Gas-Liquid Flow Measurements Relying on Forced Annular Flow

A new measurement device,consisting of swirling blades and capsule-shaped throttling elements,is proposed in this study to eliminate typical measurement errors caused by complex flow patterns in gas-liquid flow.The swirling blades are used to transform the complex flow pattern into a forced annular flow.Drawing on the research of existing blockage flow meters and also exploiting the single-phase flow measurement theory,a formula is introduced to measure the phase-separated flow of gas and liquid.The formula requires the pressure ratio,Lockhart-Martinelli number(L-M number),and the gas phase Froude number.The unknown parameters appearing in the formula are fitted through numerical simulation using computational fluid dynamics(CFD),which involves a comprehensive analysis of the flow field inside the device from multiple perspectives,and takes into account the influence of pressure fluctuations.Finally,the measurement model is validated through an experimental error analysis.The results demonstrate that the measurement error can be maintained within±8%for various flow patterns,including stratified flow,bubble flow,and wave flow.

A seismic elastic moduli module for the measurements of low-frequency wave dispersion and attenuation of fluid-saturated rocks under different pressures

Knowledge about the seismic elastic modulus dispersion,and associated attenuation,in fluid-saturated rocks is essential for better interpretation of seismic observations taken as part of hydrocarbon identification and time-lapse seismic surveillance of both conventional and unconventional reservoir and overburden performances.A Seismic Elastic Moduli Module has been developed,based on the forced-oscillations method,to experimentally investigate the frequency dependence of Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio,as well as the inferred attenuation,of cylindrical samples under different confining pressure conditions.Calibration with three standard samples showed that the measured elastic moduli were consistent with the published data,indicating that the new apparatus can operate reliably over a wide frequency range of f∈[1-2000,10^(6)]Hz.The Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio of the shale and the tight sandstone samples were measured under axial stress oscillations to assess the frequency-and pressure-dependent effects.Under dry condition,both samples appear to be nearly frequency independent,with weak pressure dependence for the shale and significant pressure dependence for the sandstone.In particular,it was found that the tight sandstone with complex pore microstructure exhibited apparent dispersion and attenuation under brine or glycerin saturation conditions,the levels of which were strongly influenced by the increased effective pressure.In addition,the measured Young's moduli results were compared with the theoretical predictions from a scaled poroelastic model with a reasonably good agreement,revealing that the combined fluid flow mechanisms at both mesoscopic and microscopic scales possibly responsible for the measured dispersion.

Socio-scientific quantification of the comprehensive benefits of debris flow mitigation measures for villages in western Sichuan, China

Debris flow hazards seriously threaten thesafety and sustainable development of mountainousareas. Numerous debris flow mitigation measures havebeen implemented worldwide;however, acomprehensive assessment of the specific disasterreduction effects of these measures and their economic,social and ecological benefits is yet to be performed.The western region of Sichuan Province frequentlysuffers from geohazards such as debris flow, and thegovernment has adopted many mitigation measures.This study assessed the benefits of debris flowmitigation measures and identified the key influencingfactors via a field-based study conducted in 81 villagesin western Sichuan province, China. A framework forthe evaluation of the benefits of rural debris flowmitigation measures was constructed andquantitatively evaluated using a survey. Snowballsampling was performed to recruit 81 village leadersand 468 farmers. The results showed that managementand engineering measures were the main methodsused to mitigate debris flow;ecological measures wereauxiliary. The average satisfaction scores of farmers forthese three types of measures were 4.07, 3.90, and 3.56,respectively (as measured on a five-point Likert scale).In contrast, in terms of the benefits of these mitigationmeasures, only a small proportion of villages (11.11%)obtained a high level of comprehensive benefits fromthe debris flow mitigation measures, while the majority(88.89%) received medium to low-level benefits. Toimprove this situation, we further studied and foundthat the main factors that restricted villages fromachieving high-level comprehensive benefits were theunpredictable nature of debris flows, labour forceoutflow and remoteness. Effective control measures, agood economic environment and strong governmentassistance were reported as crucial factors forimproving these comprehensive benefits. This studyprovides socio-scientific references for decisionmakingon rural debris flow mitigation measures while keeping villages at the centre of economic development.

Phase-Based Optical Flow Method with Optimized Parameter Settings for Enhancing Displacement Measurement Adaptability

To enhance the applicability and measurement accuracy of phase-based optical flow method using complex steerable pyramids in structural displacement measurement engineering applications, an improved method of optimizing parameter settings is proposed. The optimized parameters include the best measurement points of the Region of Interest (ROI) and the levels of pyramid filters. Additionally, to address the issue of updating reference frames in practical applications due to the difficulty in estimating the maximum effective measurement value, a mechanism for dynamically updating reference frames is introduced. Experimental results demonstrate that compared to representative image gradient-based displacement measurement methods, the proposed method exhibits higher measurement accuracy in engineering applications. This provides reliable data support for structural damage identification research based on vibration signals and is expected to broaden the engineering application prospects for structural health monitoring.

A Novel Method for Wet Gas Flow Measurements Based on an Over-Reading Principle

A novel method to measure the flow rate in a wet gas is presented.Due to the presence of liquid,there is a deviation in the measurement of the gas volume flow rate obtained with standard vortex flow-meters.The proposed method is based on a correction factor determined through the application of an over-reading approach to a bluff body in mist flow.The correction factor is obtained from the slip velocity ratio,i.e.,the ratio of droplet velocity to gas velocity,based on the analysis of the fluid velocity distribution in the pipeline section.It also takes into account relevant theoretical arguments.It is shown that the predicted results fit the experimental results well.

Simultaneous measurement of velocity profile and liquid film thickness in horizontal gas–liquid slug flow by using ultrasonic Doppler method

Horizontal gas-liquid two-phase flows widely exist in chemical engineering,oil/gas production and other important industrial processes.Slug flow pattern is the main form of horizontal gas-liquid flows and characterized by intermittent motion of film region and slug region.This work aims to develop the ultrasonic Doppler method to realize the simultaneous measurement of the velocity profile and liquid film thickness of slug flow.A single-frequency single-channel transducer is adopted in the design of the field-programmable gate array based ultrasonic Doppler system.A multiple echo repetition technology is used to improve the temporal-spatial resolution for the velocity profile.An experiment of horizontal gas-liquid two-phase flow is implemented in an acrylic pipe with an inner diameter of 20 mm.Considering the aerated characteristics of the liquid slug,slug flow is divided into low-aerated slug flow,high-aerated slug flow and pseudo slug flow.The temporal-spatial velocity distributions of the three kinds of slug flows are reconstructed by using the ultrasonic velocity profile measurement.The evolution characteristics of the average velocity profile in slug flows are investigated.A novel method is proposed to derive the liquid film thickness based on the instantaneous velocity profile.The liquid film thickness can be effectively measured by detecting the position and the size of the bubbles nearly below the elongated gas bubble.Compared with the time of flight method,the film thickness measured by the Doppler system shows a higher accuracy as a bubble layer occurs in the film region.The effect of the gas distribution on the film thickness is uncovered in three kinds of slug flows.

Field Measurements of Influence of Sand Transport Rate on Structure of Wind-sand Flow over Coastal Transverse Ridge

The structure of wind-sand flow under different total sand transport rates was measured with field vertical anemometer and sand trap on the crest of typical coastal transverse ridge in Changli Gold Coast of Hebei Province, which is one of the most typical coastal aeolian distribution regions in China and famous for the tall and typical coastal transverse ridges. The measurement results show that, on the conditions of approximate wind velocities and same surface materials and environments, some changes happen to the structure of wind-sand flow with the increase of total sand transport rate on the crest of coastal transverse ridge. First, the sand transport rates of layers at different heights in the wind-sand flow increase, with the maximum increase at the height layer of 4-8cm. Second, the ratios of sand trans-port rates of layers at different heights to total sand transport rate decrease at the low height layer (0-4cm), but increase at the high height layer (4-60cm). Third, the distribution of the sand transport rate in the wind-sand flow can be expressed by an exponential function at the height layer of 0-40cm, but it changes from power function model to ex-ponential function model in the whole height layer (0-60cm) and changes into polynomial function model at the height layer of 40-60cm with the increase of total sand transport rate. Those changes have a close relationship with the limit of sand grain size of wind flow transporting and composition of sand grain size in the wind-sand flow.

Spectral measurements of hypervelocity flow in an expansion tunnel

Atmospheric reentry vehicles and planetary probes fly through the atmosphere at hypervelocity speed. At such speed, there is a significant proportion of heat load to the vehicle surface due to radiative heating. Accurate prediction needs a good knowledge of the radiation spectrum properties. In this paper, a high-speed camera and spectrograph coupled to an intensified charge-coupled device have bee n impleme nted to inv estigate the rad i at io n flow over a semi-cylinder model. The experiments were carried out in the JF16 expansi on timnel with secondary shock velocity of 7.9 km·s^-1. Results show that the emissio n spectrum comprises several atomic lines and molecular band systems. We give detailed data of the radiation spectrum, shock shape, shock detached distance and radiation intensity varying with space and wavelength. This valuable experimental dataset will be helpful to validate computational fluid dynamics codes and radiation models, which equates to increased prediction accuracy of radiation heating. Also, some suggestions for spectral measurement in hypervelocity flow field were list in the end.

Numerical Simulation of the Non-isothermal Viscoelastic Flow Past a Confined Cylinder

A collocated finite volume method on unstructured meshes is introduced to simulate the viscoelastic flow of the polymer melt with viscous dissipation past a confined cylinder.The constitutive equation for the simulations is non-isothermal FENE-P model,which is derived from the molecular theories.The temperature effect on the macroscopic fields(e.g.,velocity,stress) and microscopic fields(e.g.,molecular orientation,deformation,stretch) is investigated by comparison of isothermal and non-isothermal situations.This investigation indicates that temperature rise caused by viscous dissipation should not be neglected since it has significant effect on the macroscopic and microscopic properties of the polymer melt.

Partial phase flow rate measurements for stratified oil-water flow in horizontal wells

To accurately measure and evaluate the oil-water production profile of horizontal wells, a dynamic measurement experiment of oil-water two-phase flow in horizontal wells and numerical simulation were combined to establish a method for measuring the partial phase flow rate of oil-water two-phase stratified flow in horizontal wells. An experimental work was performed in horizontal oil-water two-phase flow simulation well using combination production logging tool including mini-capacitance sensor and mini-spinner. The combination tool provides a recording of holdup and velocity profiles at five different heights of the borehole cross-section. The effect of total flow rate and water-cut on the response of spinner and capacitive sensor at five measured positions were investigated. The capacitance water holdup interpolation imaging algorithm was used to determine the local fluid property and oil-water interface height, and the measured local fluid speed was combined with the numerical simulation result to establish an optimal calculation model for obtaining the partial phase flow rate of the oil-water two-phase stratified flow in the horizontal well. The calculated flow rates of five measured points are basically consistent with the experimental data, the total flow rate and water holdup from calculation are in agreement with the set values in the experiment too, suggesting that the method has high accuracy.

Simulation of Non-Isothermal Turbulent Flows Through Circular Rings of Steel

This article is intended to examine the fluid flow patterns and heat transfer in a rectangular channel embedded with three semi-circular cylinders comprised of steel at the boundaries.Such an organization is used to generate the heat exchangers with tube and shell because of the production of more turbulence due to zigzag path which is in favor of rapid heat transformation.Because of little maintenance,the heat exchanger of such type is extensively used.Here,we generate simulation of flow and heat transfer using nonisothermal flow interface in the Comsol multiphysics 5.4 which executes the Reynolds averaged Navier stokes equation(RANS)model of the turbulent flow together with heat equation.Simulation is tested with Prandtl number(Pr=0.7)with inlet velocity magnitude in the range from 1 to 2 m/sec which generates the Reynolds number in the range of 2.2×10^(5) to 4.4×10^(5) with turbulence kinetic energy and the dissipation rate in ranges(3.75×10^(−3) to 1.5×10^(−2))and(3.73×10^(−3)−3×10^(−2))respectively.Two correlations available in the literature are used in order to check validity.The results are displayed through streamlines,surface plots,contour plots,isothermal lines,and graphs.It is concluded that by retaining such an arrangement a quick distribution of the temperature over the domain can be seen and also the velocity magnitude is increasing from 333.15%to a maximum of 514%.The temperature at the middle shows the consistency in value but declines immediately at the end.This process becomes faster with the decrease in inlet velocity magnitude.

Evaluation of a Simple Hydraulic Resistance Model Using Flow Measurements Collected in Vegetated Waterways

A simple idealized model to describe the hydraulic resistance caused by vegetation is compared to results from flow experiments conducted in natural waterways. Two field case studies are considered: fixed-point flow measurements in a Green River (case 1) and vessel-borne flow measurements along a cross-section with floodplains in the river Rhine (case 2). Analysis of the two cases shows that the simple flow model is consistent with measured flow velocities and the present vegetation characteristics, and may be used to predict a realistic Manning resistance coefficient. From flow measurements in the river floodplain (case 2) an estimate was made of the equivalent height of the drag dominated vegetation layer, as based on measured flow characteristics. The resulting height corresponds well with the observed height of vegetation in the floodplain. The expected depth-dependency of the associated Manning resistance coefficient for could not be detected due to lack of data for relatively shallow flows. Furthermore, it was shown that topographical variations in the floodplain may have an important impact on the flow field, which should not be mistaken as roughness effects.

Mathematical Modeling of Non-Isothermal Flow of Thin Layer of Two-Phase Medium Permeable Surface

Processes of filtering two-phase media in filtration devices play an important role in various industries. Significant role in the process of filtering is the initial section of flow, which defines the basic parameters： the profile and value of the velocity, pressure gradients, concentration and dispersion of sediment particles, etc.. The problem is solved by the method of surfaces of equal cost, the results enabled to establish the influence of the input section on the filtering process.

Uncertainty analysis of flow rate measurement for multiphase flow using CFD

The venturi meter has an advantage in its use,because it can measure flow without being much affected by the type of the measured fluid or flow conditions.Hence,it has excellent versatility and is being widely applied in many industries.The flow of a liquid containing air is a representative example of a multiphase flow and exhibits complex flow characteristics.In particular,the greater the gas volume fraction（GVF）,the more inhomogeneous the flow becomes.As a result,using a venturi meter to measure the rate of a flow that has a high GVF generates an error.In this study,the cause of the error occurred in measuring the flow rate for the multiphase flow when using the venturi meter for analysis by CFD.To ensure the reliability of this study,the accuracy of the multiphase flow models for numerical analysis was verified through comparison between the calculated results of numerical analysis and the experimental data.As a result,the Grace model,which is a multiphase flow model established by an experiment with water and air,was confirmed to have the highest reliability.Finally,the characteristics of the internal flow Held about the multiphase flow analysis result generated by applying the Grace model were analyzed to find the cause of the uncertainty occurring when measuring the flow rate of the multiphase flow using the venturi meter.A phase separation phenomenon occurred due to a density difference of water and air inside the venturi,and flow inhomogeneity happened according to the flow velocity difference of each phase.It was confirmed that this flow inhomogeneity increased as the GVF increased due to the uncertainty of the flow measurement.

Simulation of Non-isothermal Injection Molding for a Non-Newtonian Fluid by Level Set Method

A non-isothermal injection molding process for a non-Newtonian viscous pseudoplastic fluid is simulated.A conservative interface capturing technique and the flow field solving method are coupled to perform a dynamic simulation.The validity of the numerical method is verified by a benchmark problem.The melt interface evolution versus time is captured and the physical quantities such as temperature,velocity and pressure at each time step are obtained with corresponding analysis.A"frozen skin"layer with the thickness increasing versus time during the injection process is found.The fact that the"frozen skin"layer can be reduced by increasing the injection velocity is numerically verified.The fountain flow phenomenon near the melt interface is also captured.Moreover,comparisons with the non-isothermal Newtonian case show that the curvatures of the interface arcs and the pressure contours near the horizontal mid-line of the cavity for the non-Newtonian pseudoplastic case is larger than that for the Newtonian case.The velocity profiles are different at different positions for the non-Newtonian pseudoplastic case,while in the case of Newtonian flow the velocity profiles are parabolic and almost the same at different positions.

Measuring the Internal Velocity of Debris Flows Using Impact Pressure Detecting in the Flume Experiment

Measuring the internal velocity of debris flows is very important for debris flow dynamics research and designing debris flow control works. However, there is no appropriate method for measuring the internal velocity because of the destructive power of debris flow process. In this paper, we address this problem by using the relationship between velocity and kinetic pressure, as described by surface velocity and surface kinetic pressure data. Kinetic pressure is the difference of impact pressure and static pressure. The former is detected by force sensors installed in the flow direction at the sampling section. Observations show that static pressure can be computed using the formula for static water pressure by simply substituting water density for debris flow density. We describe the relationship between surface velocity and surface kinetic pressure using data from seven laboratory flume experiments. It is consistent with the relationship for single phase flow, which is the measurement principle of the Pitot tube.

Machine Vision Based Measurement of Dynamic Contact Angles in Microchannel Flows

When characterizing flows in miniaturized channels, the determination of the dynamic contact angle is important. By measuring the dynamic contact angle, the flow properties of the flowing liquid and the effect of material properties on the flow can be characterized. A machine vision based system to measure the contact angle of front or rear menisci of a moving liquid plug is described in this article. In this research, transparent flow channels fabricated on thermoplastic polymer and sealed with an adhesive tape are used. The transparency of the channels enables image based monitoring and measurement of flow variables, including the dynamic contact angle. It is shown that the dynamic angle can be measured from a liquid flow in a channel using the image based measurement system. An image processing algorithm has been developed in a MATLAB environment. Images are taken using a CCD camera and the channels are illuminated using a custom made ring light. Two fitting methods, a circle and two parabolas, are experimented and the results are compared in the measurement of the dynamic contact angles.

Flow measurement and parameter optimization of right-angled flow passage in hydraulic manifold block

This study was conducted to investigate the flow field characteristics of right-angled flow passage with various cavities in the typical hydraulic manifold block.A low-speed visualization test rig was developed and the flow field of the right-angled flow passage with different cavity structures was measured using 2D-PIV technique.Numerical model was established to simulate the three-dimensional flow field.Seven eddy viscosity turbulence models were investigated in predicting the flow field by comparing against the particle image relocimetry(PIV)measurement results.By defining the weight error function K,the S-A model was selected as the appropriate turbulence model.Then,a three-factor,three-level response surface numerical test was conducted to investigate the influence of flow passage connection type,cavity diameter and cavity length-diameter ratio on pressure loss.The results show that the Box-Benhnken Design(BBD)model can predict the total pressure loss accurately.The optimal factor level appeared in flow passage connection type II,14.64 mm diameter and 67.53%cavity length-diameter ratio.The total pressure loss decreased by 11.15%relative to the worst factor level,and total pressure loss can be reduced by 64.75%when using an arc transition right-angled flow passage,which indicates a new direction for the optimization design of flow passage in hydraulic manifold blocks.

3D LDV MEASUREMENTS OF ROTOR BLADE TIP VORTEX IN HOVER

An investigation made on the rotor blade tip vortex through use of a Three Dimensional Laser Doppler Velocimetry(3D LDV) is described. The experiment is conducted with a 2 m in diameter model helicopter rotor. By a series of measurements near blade tip, the velocity field near blade tip is documented, and through which, the tip vortex rollup and development are presented. The radial distribution of instantaneous velocities at various levels above and under the rotor disc is also measured in this investigation. Using this distribution, the influence of the tip vortex from the preceding blade on the follow up blade is discussed.

Mitigation measures of debris flow and landslide risk carried out in two mountain areas of North-Eastern Italy

The design of remediation works for the mitigation and prevention of the associated risk is needed where these geological hazards affect anthropized areas. Remedial measures for landslides commonly include slope reshaping, plumbing, drainage, retaining structures and internal slope reinforcement, while debris flow control works consist in open or closed control structures. The effectiveness of the remedial works implemented must be assessed by evaluating the reduction of the risk over time. The choice of the most appropriate and cost-effective intervention must consider the type of hazard and environmental issues, and selects, wherever possible, naturalistic engineering operations that are consequently implemented according to the environmental regulations or the design and specification standards imposed by the competent public administrations. The mitigation procedures consist of five basic steps:(a) acquisition of the knowledge of the hazard process;(b) risk assessment with identification of possible disaster scenarios;(c) planning and designing of specific remedial measures to reduce and/or eliminate the potential risk;(d) slope monitoring after application of remedial measures,(e) transfer of knowledge to the stakeholders. This paper presents two case studies describing the practice for the design of the mitigation measures adopted for debris flow and active landslide sites in North-Eastern Italy. The first case study is a debris flow site, for which, based on observation of past events and numerical simulations using the software FLOW-2D, the most suitable mitigation measures were found to be the construction of a debris basin, barriers and breakers. The second case study deals with an active landslide threatening a village. Based on the landslide kinematics and the results of numerical simulations performed with the code FLAC, hard engineering remedial works were planned to reduce the driving forces with benching and by increasing the available resisting forces using jet grout piles and deep drainage.