Detailed analysis of phase distributions in a vertical riser using wire mesh sensor (WMS)

Abstract

This paper looks into the results of an experimental study concerned with the phase distributions of gas–liquid multiphase flows experienced in a vertical riser. Scale experiments were carried out using a mixture of air and silicone oil in a 6m long riser pipe with an internal diameter pipe of 67mm. A series of pipe flow experiments were performed for a range of injected air superficial velocities over the range 0.05–4.73m/s, whilst the liquid superficial velocities ranged from 0.05 to 0.38m/s. Measurements of cross-sectional void fraction and radial time averaged void fraction across a pipe section located 4.92m from the pipe flow injection were obtained using a capacitance wire mesh sensor (WMS). The data were recorded at a frequency of 1000Hz over an interval of 60s. For the range of flow conditions studied, the average void fraction was observed to vary between 0.1 and 0.83. An analysis of the data collected concluded that the observed void fraction was strongly affected by the gas superficial velocity, whereby the higher the gas superficial velocity, the higher was the observed average void fraction. The average void fraction distributions observed were in good agreement with the results obtained by other researchers. The accuracy and performance of void fraction correlations were carried out in terms of percentage error and Root Mean Square (RMS) error. Reasonably symmetric radial void fraction profiles were obtained when the air–silicone oil was fully developed, and the shape of the symmetry profile was strongly dependent on the gas superficial velocity. The data for air/water and air/silicone oil systems showed reasonably good agreement except at gas superficial velocity of 0.05m/s. A comparison of the experimental data was performed against a published model to investigate the flow structure of air–water mixtures in a bubble column. A satisfactory report was observed for radial void fraction profile (mean relative error is within 5.7%) at the higher gas superficial velocities.