Numerical and experimental analysis of vertically ascending swirling liquid film flow

Abstract

Free-surface flows belong to an important class of two-phase flows in fluid mechanics. During the process of production and extraction of oil in the petroleum industry, a thin film of liquid builds up on either horizontal or vertical surfaces in several stages of the oil production. This type of flow is known as two-phase liquid film flow. The present work describes an analysis on the development of a liquid film in an upward flow under the action of centrifugal and gravitational fields (swirling flow) in a cyclonic chamber of a distribution system. In this article, the dynamics of a liquid film flow is analyzed with the aid of three-dimensional and transient numerical simulations. A numerical model was developed and validated with experimental data with a 17.5% mean difference. A Euler-Euler two-fluid model coupled with the compressive discretization scheme for the capture of the liquid-gas interface and the Shear Stress Transport turbulence model was used to model the flow numerically. The finite volume method was used to discretize the conservation equations. The results obtained added to the current knowledge on flow dynamics (formation, spreading, stability and development) and on how the superficial velocities of liquid and gas influence the stability and behavior of the vertically ascendant liquid film flow. Liquid films flow with smaller thicknesses causing smaller fluctuations in the flow, thus leading to a homogeneous distribution of the flow at the outlet of the equipment.