Local Measurement of Gas-Liquid Bubbly Flow with a Double-Sensor Probe

A double-sensor probe was used to measure local interfacial parameters of a gas-liquid bubbly flow in a horizontal tube. The parameters included void fraction, interfacial concentration, bubble size distribution, bubble frequency and bubble interface velocity. The authors paid special attention to the probe design and construction for minimizing measurement errors. Measures were also taken in the design of sensor ends for preventing corrosions in the flow. This is an effort to improve the current double-sensor probe technique to meet the ever-increasing needs to local parameter measurements in gas-liquid two-phase flows.

Effects of bubbly flow on bending moment acting on the shaft of a gas sparged vessel stirred by a Rushton turbine

The bending moment acting on the overhung shaft of a gas-sparged vessel stirred by a Rushton turbine,as one of the results of fluid and structure interactions in stirred vessels,was measured using a moment sensor equipped with digital telemetry.An analysis of the shaft bending moment amplitude shows that the amplitude distribution of the bending moment,which indicates the elasticity nature of shaft material against bending deformation,follows the Weibull distribution.The trends of amplitude mean,standard deviation and peak deviation characteristics manifest an "S" shape versus gas flow.The "S" trend of the relative mean bending moment over gas flow rate,depending on the flow regime in gas-liquid stirred vessels,resulted from the competition among the nonuniformity of bubbly flow around the impeller,the formation of gas cavities behind the blades,and the gas direct impact on the impeller when gas is introduced.A further analysis of the bending moment power spectral density shows that the rather low frequency and speed frequency are evident.The low-frequency contribution to bending moment fluctuation peaks in the complete dispersion regime.

Visualisation of air–water bubbly column flow using array Ultrasonic Velocity Profiler

In the present work, an experimental study of bubbly two-phase flow in a rectangular bubble column was performed using two ultrasonic array sensors, which can measure the instantaneous velocity of gas bubbles on multiple measurement lines. After the sound pressure distribution of sensors had been evaluated with a needle hydrophone technique, the array sensors were applied to two-phase bubble col- umn, To assess the accuracy of the measurement system with array sensors for one and two-dimensional velocity, a simultaneous measurement was performed with an optical measurement technique called particle image velocimetry （PIV）. Experimental results showed that accuracy of the measurement system with array sensors is under 10% for one-dimensional velocity profile measurement compared with PIV technique. The accuracy of the system was estimated to be under 20% along the mean flow direction in the case of two-dimensional vector mapping.

Developed ‘laminar’ bubbly flow with non-uniform bubble sizes

Bubbles with different sizes have different dynamic and kinetic behavior in a two-phase bubbly flow. A common two-fluid model based on the uniform bubble size assumption is not suitable for a bubbly flow with non-uniform bubble sizes. To deal with non-uniform bubbly flows, a multi-fluid model is established, with which bubbles are divided into several groups according to their sizes and a set of basic equations is derived for each group of bubbles with almost the same size. Through analyzing the bubble-bubble and bubble-pipe wall interactions, two new constitutive laws for the wall-force and pressure difference between the liquid phase and interface are developed to close the averaged basic equations. The respective phase distributions for each group of bubbles measured by a specially designed three-dimensional photographic method are used to check the model. Comparison between model-predicted values and experimental data shows that the model can describe laminar bubbly flow with non-uniform bubble sizes.

Investigation on two-phase flow-induced vibrations of a piping structure with an elbow

The dynamic behaviors of a horizontal piping structure with an elbow due to the two-phase flow excitation are experimentally investigated.The effects of flow patterns and superficial velocities on the pressure pulsations and vibration responses are evaluated in detail.A strong partition coupling algorithm is used to calculate the flow-induced vibration(FIV)responses of the pipe,and the theoretical values agree well with the experimental results.It is found that the lateral and axial vibration responses of the bend pipe are related to the momentum flux of the two-phase flow,and the vibration amplitudes of the pipe increase with an increase in the liquid mass flux.The vertical vibration responses are strongly affected by the flow pattern,and the maximum response occurs in the transition region from the slug flow to the bubbly flow.Moreover,the standard deviation(STD)amplitudes of the pipe vibration in three directions increase with an increase in the gas flux for both the slug and bubbly flows.The blockage of liquid slugs at the elbow section is found to strengthen the vibration amplitude of the bend pipe,and the water-blocking phenomenon disappears as the superficial gas velocity increases.

Simple Model for Gas Holdup and Liquid Velocity of Annular Photocatalytic External-Loop Airlift Reactor Under both Bubble and Developing Slug Flow

Based on the momentum conservation approach, a theoretical model was developed to predict the superficial liquid velocity, and a correlation equation was established to calculate the gas holdup of an annular external-loop airlift reactor(AELAR)in the bubble flow and developing slug flow pattern. Experiments were performed by using tap-water and silicone oil with the viscosity of 2.0 mm^2/s(2cs-SiO)and 5.0 mm^2/s(5cs-SiO)as liquid phases. The effects of liquid viscosity and flow pattern on the AELAR performance were investigated. The predictions of the proposed model were in good agreement with the experimental results of the AELAR. In addition, the comparison of the experimental results shows that the proposed model has good accuracy and could be used to predict the gas holdup and liquid velocity of an AELAR operating in bubble and developing flow pattern.

Experimental study of gas-water elongated bubble flow during production logging

In order to improve the interpretation of production log data on gas-water elongated bubble （EB） flow in horizontal wells, a multi-phase flow simulation device was set up to conduct a series of measurement experiments using air and tap water as test media, which were measured using a real production logging tool （PLT） string at different deviations and in different mixed flow states. By understanding the characteristics and mechanisms of gas-water EB flow in transparent experimental boreholes during production logging, combined with an analysis of the production log response characteristics and experimental production logging flow pattern maps, a method for flow pattern identification relying on log responses and a drift-flux model were proposed for gas-water EB flow. This model, built upon experimental data of EB flow, reveals physical mechanisms of gas-water EB flow during measurement processing. The coefficients it contains are the specific values under experimental conditions and with the PLT string used in our experiments. These coefficients also reveal the interference with original downhole flow patterns by the PLT string. Due to the representativeness that our simulated flow experiments and PLT string possess, the model coefficients can be applied as empirical values of logging interpretation model parameters directly to real production logging data interpretation, when the measurement circumstances and PLT strings are similar.

VISUALIZATION OF FLOW STRUCTURES IN A TURBULENT BOUNDARY LAYER USING A NEW TECHNIQUE

In this paper, an experimental investigation on the flow structures in a turbulent bounda- ry layer employing a special laser light sheet-Hydrogen bubble flow visualization technique is described. It is observed that the high/low speed streaks are directly related to the hairpin or horseshoe-like vortices. This observation can give a better understanding of the physical mechanism in the turbulent boundary layer.

Flow-Accelerated Corrosion in Pipe Wall Downstream of Orifice for Water and Air-Water Bubble Flows

An orifice is used widely as a flow meter or a contraction device in pipeline systems in hydro-power plants, thermal power plants, and chemical plants because of its simple construction, high reliability, and low cost. However, it is well known that flow-accelerated corrosion (FAC) occurs on the pipe wall downstream of the orifice. Some of the authors have examined FAC through experimental and numerical analyses and have reported that one of the major governing parameters of FAC for single-phase water flow is the pressure fluctuation p’ on the pipe wall, and also that pipe wall thinning rate TR can be estimated by p’. In addition, they have presented the effects of the ori-fice geometry on p’ or TR, and have described a method for suppressing p’ or TR. In the present study, FAC for a two-phase air-water bubble flow is examined and compared with the single-phase water flow experimentally. Further, it is shown that because p’ is also considered a governing parameter of FAC for a two-phase air-water bubble flow, TR can be estimated using p’. It is also indicated that, by using a downstream pipe with a smaller diameter than that of the upstream pipe, p’ or TR can be suppressed.

Numerical Modeling and Analysis of Gas Entrainment for the Ventilated Cavity in Vertical Pipe

A semi-empirical gas entrainment model was proposed for the ventilated cavity in vertical pipe, based on which, a complete numerical scheme was established by coupling with the Eulerian-Eulerian two-fluid model to predict the multiscale flow field created by ventilated cavity. Model predictions were validated against experimental measurements on void fraction and bubble size distributions. Simulations were carried out to explore the effect of ventilation rate and inlet turbulence intensity on the macroscale cavity shape and the bubbly flow downstream of the ventilated cavity. As the ventilation rate increasing, a reverse trend was observed for the void fraction and bub-ble size distributions. It is concluded that the average void fraction in the pipe flow region is determined by the vo-lumetric ratio between liquid and gas. However, the bubble size evolution is dominated by the breakage effect induced by turbulence in the vortex region. Furthermore, simulations were conducted to analyze geometric scale effect based upon Froude similitude. The results imply that the velocity distributions were properly scaled. Slight scale effect was seen for the void fraction caused by faster dispersion of bubbles in the larger size model. The comparatively greater bubble size was predicted in the smaller model, implying significant scale effects in terms of tur-bulence and surface tension effect. It reveals that empirical correlations valid in wide range are required for the extrapolation from small-size laboratory models.

PARAMETRIC STUDY ON THE THRUST OF BUBBLY WATER RAMJET WITH A CONVERGING-DIVERGING NOZZLE

To predict the thrust of bubbly water ramjet with a converging-diverging nozzle, the physical processes occurring in the diffuser, mixing chamber and nozzle were analyzed. The mathematical models were constructed separately under the restrictions of certain assumptions. The bubbly nozzle flow was examined using a two-fluid model and accomplished by specifying the water velocity distribution in the nozzle. The numerical analysis of flow field in the nozzle shows that the Mach number at the throat is 1.009, near unity, and supersonic bubble flow appears behind the throat. There is greater thrust produced by bubbly water ramjet, compared with single-phase air ramjets. Subsequently, the influences of vessel velocity, air mass flow rate, inlet area Ai, area ratio （i.e., mixing chamber to inlet area Am/Ai）, and initial bubble radius on the thrust were emphatically investigated. Results indicate that the thrust increases with the increase of air mass flow rate, inlet area and the area ratio, and the decrease of initial bubble radius. However, the thrust weakly depends on the vessel velocity. These analytical and numerical results are useful for further investigation of bubbly water ramjet engine.

Measurement of two-phase velocities in bubble flows using laser Doppler velocimetry

The measurement of two-phase velocities in bubble flows using laser Doppler velocimetry(LDV)is studied.The key to the problem is to differentiate the LDV signals from bubbles and tracers,based on which the two-phase velocities can be characterized.In this study,two experiments are carried out.Firstly,the bubble-chain experiment is performed to investigate the optical response of bubble surface and the corresponding LDV signal.The optical response shows that the light received by the LDV detector is dominated by the reflection component,which is similar to specular reflection to some extent.There are three typical patterns of signals of large bubbles passing through the measurement volume,all of which are with high amplitude and saturated.Then,the upward-flow experiment is conducted to study the statistical characteristics of large bubbles as well as micro tracers and micro bubbles.The results show that the amplitude of signal of millimeter bubbles is about an order of magnitude larger than that of tracers or micro bubbles.Based on this significant difference of the amplitude,we propose a phase discrimination method to distinguish two-phase signals.The capability of the proposed method is tested in a complex bubble flow,and its reliability is verified by bubble tracking velocimetry(BTV)technology.

Hydraulic jump and choking of flow in pipe with a change of slope

This paper investigates hydraulic jumps in sloping pipes by means of wall-resolved large eddy simulation(LES).The purpose is to achieve an improved understanding of jump behaviours driven by pipe discharge and slope.The LES model predicts the hydraulic jump as a 3-D two-phase flow,with air as the gas phase and water as the liquid phase.The predictions yield instantaneous velocity and pressure fields as well as fluid volume fraction.The instantaneous flow variables allow ensemble averages,which quantify the internal structures and integral properties of the hydraulic jump.The predicted instantaneous velocity shows spectra in consistency with the well-known Kolmogorov−5/3 law.The ensemble averages of air and water velocities,free-surface profile,roller length and aeration length,compare well with available experimental data.The jump behaviours are complex.Some aspects such as free-surface fluctuation and jump-toe oscillation resemble the classical hydraulic jump on horizontal floors.Others like the 3-D distributions of core jet,vorticity and aeration are much more complicated.Depending on the pipe discharge and slope,the resulting jump can be a complete or an incomplete jump.The incomplete hydraulic jump causes choked flow downstream.This has severe consequences on drainage conditions in sewer pipes laid on sloping terrain.This paper proposes using the Okubo-Weiss parameter as a new way to subtly delineate the region of hydraulic jump.It is much more efficient and less ambiguous,compared with traditional visual inspections.

DIRECT NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS OF TURBULENT CHANNEL FLOWS WITH CONSIDERATION OF THE BUOYANCY EFFECT OF THE BUBBLE PHASE

Turbulent channel flows with consideration of the buoyancy effect of the bubble phase is investigated by means of the Direct Numerical Simulation （DNS）. This two-phase system is solved by a two-way coupling Lagrangian-Eulerian approach. The Reynolds number based on the friction velocity and the half-width of the channel is 194, and the gravitational acceleration varies from -0.5 to 0.5, ranging from the upflow to the downflow cases. This study aims to reveal the influence of buoyancy on the turbulence behavior and the bubble motion. Some typical statistical quantities, including the averaged velocities and velocity fluctuations for the fluid and bubble phases, as well as the flow structures of the turbulence fluctuations, are analyzed.

An Experimental Study of a Bubble-Driven Liquid Metal Flow Under the Influence of a Rotating Magnetic Field

In this study we investigate the flow structure in a liquid metal cylinder while a bubble-driven flow is superposed with a rotating magnetic field(RMF).Argon gas is injected through a nozzle into a column of the eutectic alloy GalnSn. Without electromagnetic stirring the bubble plume in the centre region of the cylindrical vessel produces a recirculation with high velocities near the free surface while the fluid velocities in the bottom region remain rather low.The measurements revealed the potential of the RMF to control both the amplitude of the meridional flow and the bubble distribution and to provide an effective mixing in the whole fluid volume.Various periodic flow patterns were observed in a certain parameter range with respect to variations of the magnetic field strength and the gas flow rate.

Experimental tomographic methods for analysing flow dynamics of gas-oil- water flows in horizontal pipeline

Gas-oil-water three phase flow is of practical significance in oil and gas industries. An insight into the dynamics of such multiphase flows is significantly valuable to obtain optimal design parameters and operational conditions. Since flow patterns are sensitive to pipe geometry, flow conditions and thermophysical properties of fluid, it is extremely challenging to provide a universal solution for visualisation of three phase horizontal flows. This study deals with a fully developed, turbulent three phase flow and presents the outcomes of electrical tomographic imaging techniques to visualise gas-oil-water flows in a horizontal pipeline.

NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF BUBBLE FLOW INTERACTIONS

Bubble flow interaction can be important in many practical engineering applications. For instance, cavitation is a problem of interaction between nuclei and local pressure field variations including turbulent oscillations and large scale pressure variations. Various types of behaviours fundamentally depend on the relative sizes of the nuclei and the length scales of the pressure variations as well as the relative importance of bubble natural periods of oscillation and the characteristic time of the field pressure variations. Similarly, bubbles can significantly affect the performance of lifting devices or propulsors. We present here some fundamental numerical studies of bubble dynamics and deformation, then a practical method using a multi-bubble Surface Averaged Pressure （DF-Multi-SAP ） to simulate cavitation inception and scaling, and connect this with more precise 3-D simulations. This same method is then extended to the study of two-way coupling between a viscous compressible flow and a bubble population in the flow field.

Void fraction measurement of bubble and slug flow in a small channel using the multivision technique

Using the multivision technique, a new void fraction measurement method was developed for bubble and slug flow in a small channel. The multivision system was developed to obtain images of the two-phase flow in two perpendicular directions. The obtained images were processed--using image segmentation, image subtraction, Canny edge detection, binarization, and hole filling-to extract the phase boundaries and information about the bubble or slug parameters, With the extracted information, a new void fraction measurement model was developed and used to determine the void fraction of the two-phase flow. The proposed method was validated experimentally in horizontal and vertical channels with different inner diameters of 2.1, 2.9, and 4.0 mm, The proposed method of measuring the void fraction has better performance than the methods that use images acquired in only one direction, with a maximum absolute difference between the measured and reference values of less than 6%.

A comparative assessment of empirical and lattice Boltzmann method-based drag models for simulation of gas-solid flow hydrodynamics in a bubbling fluidized bed

In simulations of fluidized beds using computational fluid dynamics （CFD）, the description of gas-solid flow hydrodynamics relies on a drag model to account for the momentum transfer between gas and solid phases. Although several studies of drag models have been published, there have been few investigations of the application of lattice Boltzmann method （LBM）-based drag models to bubbling fluidized bed simu- lations. In the present study, a comprehensive comparison of empirical and LBM-based drag models was carried out to assess the performance of these models during simulations of gas-solid flow hydrodynam- ics in a bubbling fluidized bed. A CFD model using the MFIX code based on the Eulerian-Eulerian approach and the kinetic theory of granular flow was used to simulate a 2D bubbling fluidized bed with Geldart B particles. The simulation results were validated by comparison with experimental data. Statistical anal- ysis of the results shows that LBM-based drag models can reliably model gas-solid flow hydrodynamics in a bubbling fluidized bed.

MEASUREMENT OF BUBBLE-BUBBLE INTERACTION DEPENDED ON REYNOLDS NUMBER USING STEREOSCOPIC BUBBLE-TRACKING TECHNIQUE

Bubble-bubble interaction in free rising bubbly flows is experimentally investigated in the present study. The velocity vectors of the bubbles are measured by a stereoscopic bubble-tracking technique and then the relative velocity vectors of two nearest-neighbor bubbles are calculated with high statistical reliability. With the measurement data at Reynolds number ranging from 5 to 75, the vertical attraction and the horizontal repulsion are confirmed for Re<10 as known by the past study based on Navier-Stokes simulation. The new finding of the present measurement is that the bubbles of Re>30 have repulsive velocity bothin the horizontal and the vertical directions as those rise closely. Moreover, the three-dimensional structure of the bubble-bubble interaction is discussed with the data analysis of the interaction vector fields.