On the turbulent structure in the wake of Taylor bubbles rising in vertical pipes

Abstract

The development of gas-liquid slug flow along pipes is governed by the interaction between consecutive elongated bubbles. It is commonly accepted that the trailing bubble’s shape and velocity are affected by the flow field in the liquid phase ahead of it. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements of the velocity field in the wake of an elongated Taylor bubble are performed for different pipe diameters and various Reynolds numbers. Experiments are carried out in both laminar and turbulent background flows. Ensemble-averaged quantities in the frame of reference moving with the Taylor bubble are calculated. Peculiarities regarding the variation of the mean velocity distributions, as well as of the normal and shear Reynolds stresses, with the distance from the Taylor bubble bottom are discussed.