Advanced PIV/LIF and shadowgraphy system to visualize flow structure in two-phase bubbly flows

Abstract

Particle image velocimetry (PIV) is a promising technique to measure dispersed phase size, dispersed phase hold-up and velocity of both the phases. The current work reports measurement of the shape, size, velocity and acceleration of bubbles using shadowgraphy, and liquid velocity measurement obtained using PIV/LIF with fluorescent tracer particles. Measurements were performed in a narrow rectangular column at moderate gas hold-up (∼5%) with wide variation of bubble sizes (0.1–15 mm). The liquid velocity field was subjected to 2D discrete wavelet transform (DWT) to visualize the flow structures in the bubbly flow. Further, the slip velocity of individual bubbles was obtained from the DWT filtered liquid velocity field. The results are compared with the slip velocity correlations reported in literature for single bubbles rising in quiescent water. The comparison shows the difference in slip velocity of single bubbles and bubbles rising in swarm. The scale wise decomposition obtained from DWT was also used to quantify the liquid velocity field in terms of wavenumber spectrum. The velocity and acceleration measurements are demonstrated on a single spherical cap bubble rising in quiescent water. The measurements show the potential of the 2D acceleration measurement to facilitate the estimation of unsteady drag on bubbles.