Multi-dimensional characteristics of upward bubbly flows in a vertical large-size square channel

Abstract

Gas-liquid two-phase flows frequently occur in various flow channels in engineering systems with heat and mass transport processes. The channel geometry affects thermo-fluid behavior generally. Extensive research is done on gas-liquid two-phase flows in circular and annular channels with a wealth of local two-phase flow measurement data. Square channels are used in various engineering disciplines, but there has only been limited experimental research on two-phase flows in square channels with local flow parameter measurements. For two-phase flow analyses in square channels, knowledge of the flow characteristics and model validation against some key parameters, such as the drift-flux parameters and the interfacial area concentration, is crucial. An experiment for upward bubbly flows was conducted in a large square channel with an inside cross-section of 0.136 × 0.136 m. A four-sensor optical probe and a hot-film anemometer were used to measure local two-phase flow parameters at 66 points in an octant symmetric triangular cross-section at three axial locations. The measured two-phase flow parameters were the void fraction, axial gas velocity, axial liquid velocity, interfacial area concentration, and bubble Sauter mean diameter. The flow characteristics through flow development were investigated based on the local measurement data. The local measurement data directly determined the drift-flux parameters through their definitions. The distribution parameters determined through experimentation could be reproduced by the existing correlation for large circular pipes indicating that the flow characteristics in large square channels may be similar to those in large circular pipes. Based on existing drift-flux correlations for large circular pipes, the void fractions in the current experiment could be fairly predicted. Furthermore, the interfacial area concentrations could be predicted by existing correlations with reasonable accuracy.