An experimental study of air-solid two-phase flow in a 90° bend using LDV system

Abstract

The measurements of the mean streamwise and radial velocities, the associated turbulence and the relative particle densities were made in an air-solid two-phase flow in a square sectioned (30mm×30mm) 90° vertical to horizontal bend using laser Doppler velocimetry. The radius ratio of the bend was 2.0. Glass beads of 100µm in diameter were employed to form the solid phase. The measurements of air and solid phases were performed separately at the same bulk velocity 19.34m/s, corresponding to a Reynolds number of 3.87×104. The mass ratio of solid to air was 1.6%. The results indicate that the particle trajectories are very close to straight lines. The streamwise velocity profiles for the gas and the solids cross over near the outer wall with the solids having the higher speed. At θ=30° and 45°, particle-wall collisions happen mostly in the region from θ=30° to θ=75°, and cause a sudden change in solid velocity. The particles tend to move towards the outer wall in 90° bend. The particle concentration near the outer wall is much higher than that near the inner wall in the bend, and there are few particles in the inside of the bend. The bend leads to apparent phase separation: at θ=45°, the solids concentrate in the half of the duct near the outer wall. After θ=60° the second peak concentration appears, and goes gradually towards the inner wall.