Dispersed Bubble Flow Research Articles

Sand Detection Using Acoustic Sand Monitors for Liquid-Dominated Multiphase Flow Production

Summary Solid particle erosion in the oil and natural gas industry can be damaging to pipe fittings and equipment, which can lead to maintenance or, in the worst case, a production shutdown. In both cases, this represents a huge economic loss for industry. Acoustic sand monitoring is one of the most widely used practices to provide an alarm and/or estimate the amount of sand entrained in the flow. In addition to being commercially available, they can be easily clamped to the outside of a pipe wall, measuring the acoustic energy generated by sand grain impacts on the inner side of a pipe wall. In this work, a broad range of multiphase operating conditions has been experimentally investigated with acoustic sand monitors in large-scale flow loop facilities to determine the effectiveness of sand monitoring in liquid-dominated multiphase flow. The main objective is to use acoustic sand monitors to determine the threshold sand rate (TSR). This is the minimum sand rate necessary to achieve monitor output higher than the background noise (BN) level. Acoustic monitors were placed upstream and downstream of standard (r/D = 1.5) elbows while varying superficial gas and liquid velocities, sand sizes (25 μm, 75 μm, 150 μm, 300 μm, and 600 μm), and pipe diameters (2 in. and 3 in.) in the vertical orientation. The experimental conditions were selected to cover slug-churn, dispersed-bubble flow, and liquid-sand flow conditions. These results are compared with the previously obtained test results on 50.8-mm (2-in.) internal diameter (ID) test loops. In the 50.8-mm (2-in.) loop, threshold limits were observed for dispersed-bubble flow regimes and liquid-sand as compared with gas-dominated flow conditions. While TSR is the highest in dispersed-bubble flow regimes, the present data were compared with previous results obtained for annular, slug, and stratified flow patterns (FPs) in vertical flow. It was observed that the annular flow regime has the lowest TSR values, showing an increase in TSR when the liquid rate increased. The results from this work can help operators understand how acoustic monitors can detect and distinguish sand impact noise from the background flow noise in liquid-dominated multiphase flow in production facilities. In this way, greater assurance is provided to operators for optimizing oil and gas production rates, especially in wells that tend to produce solids.

Unveiling intricate foam behaviors and dynamic instabilities in a two-phase natural circulation loop with seawater

The use of seawater as an alternative emergency coolant in a nuclear power plant presents great potential to enhance the nuclear safety. The present study investigates the dynamic instabilities during the startup experiments of a natural circulation loop with seawater through synchronization of two-phase flow visualization and measurements of transient fluid flow parameters. The results reveal that in seawater the pressure drop oscillations (PDO) with nature of low-frequency pulse-type loop flow occurs at the modified heat flux of 531.56–654.80 kW/m2. On the other hand, the density wave oscillations (DWO) characterized by high-frequency oscillatory flow prevails at higher modified heat flux of 654.80–1844.46 kW/m2. For the loop with seawater, the flow patterns in the riser may evolve from dispersed bubbly flow, foam flow, foam and short slug flow due to the flashing effects, and foam and long slug flow periodically. The image analysis reveals that the foam fraction may decline from 75% to 52.2%, while the flow pattern transforms from the stage II (foam and cape bubbly flow) to III (foam and long slug flow). On the other hand, the flow pattern may evolve from bubbly flow, cap bubbly flow, turbulent slug flow, and long slug flow in de-ionized water. For DWO, the oscillatory frequency is found to be inlet temperature dependent. Interestingly, both fluids demonstrate identical frequencies of 0.06 Hz, 0.14 Hz, and 0.09 Hz, respectively, corresponding to the inlet temperature range of 40–52 °C, 52–65 °C, and 65–75 °C, despite significantly different evolution of two-phase flow patterns. Indeed, the density wave travels at the same speed through the loop operating at the same power for both seawater and de-ionized water, as the buoyancy force is the primary driving force for the present study. These findings contribute significantly to the better understanding of related industrial processes using seawater as the working fluid.

Investigation on vibration characteristics induced by gas–liquid two-phase flows in a horizontal pipe

The intrinsic characteristics of multiphase flow inevitably result in vibrations within the pipe structure. The evolution of vibration characteristics is crucial for monitoring the stability of the multiphase flow pipelines. However, under high liquid velocity condition, the influence of flow pattern on the gas–liquid two-phase flow-induced vibration (GTFIV) of the pipe remains unclear. In this paper, the vibration signals in the horizontal pipe under different flow patterns at high liquid velocity are measured by a vibration test system. Synchronously, images inside the pipe are captured to illustrate the flow mechanism. The results show that the α stable distribution model holds higher fitting accuracy than the standard normal distribution for the GTFIV. The random behavior of small-scale bubbles determines the structural richness of the GTFIV. The multifractal characteristics of the GTFIV are strongly dependent on the flow pattern. The formation of the gas plug leads to significant unevenness in the fractal structure of the GTFIV. The multifractal strength of the GTFIV gradually increases as the flow pattern transforms from dispersed bubble flow to slug flow. Some multifractal spectrum parameters of the vibration signal can be applied for the identification of flow patterns in the pipe.

Revisiting RANS turbulence modelling for bubble-induced turbulence: Effects of surfactants

Recent experiments of dispersed bubbly flow (Ma et al., 2023) show that contamination of the carrier phase plays a considerable role in bubble-induced turbulence (BIT): although the bubbles rise slower with adding surfactants, the BIT increases. This trend, however, cannot be reproduced by any current BIT models in the framework of Euler–Euler Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes two-equation turbulence model, including the model proposed by Ma et al. (2017). The present work revisits this widely used model (Ma et al., 2017) as a representative, which considers the BIT with an additional source term in the k- and ɛ (or ω) - equation, respectively. We have systematically investigated the reason why such a BIT model is unable to capture the BIT modulation caused by different degrees of contamination and discuss the new possibility for the prefactor in the source term of the ɛ-equation that may improve the results.

An experimental study on air-oil flow patterns in horizontal pipes using two synthetic oils

Investigations on the gas-oil mixture flow of highly viscous oils have become increasingly significant in various industries for the past couple of years. This study examines the characteristics of air-oil flow patterns to understand the effect of the oil phase's thermophysical properties and flow rates on flow patterns. An experimental study was conducted to visualize the air-oil mixture flow in horizontal pipes. The diameters of the horizontal pipes were selected as 20 and 40 mm, respectively. Two different oils having substantially different viscosities were employed as the liquid phase. Based on the visualization results, air-oil mixture flow is categorized into seven flow patterns: stratified smooth, stratified wavy, annular, plug, slug, bubbly, and dispersed bubble flows. Along with representative images, this study demonstrates the essential characteristics of individual flow patterns. Furthermore, it discusses the influence of each phase's flow rate, oil viscosity, and surface tension on flow patterns. The processes of liquid entrainment in stratified wavy flow, bubble tip breakup in plug flow, and liquid slug aeration in slug flow are also illustrated, respectively, with the corresponding sequential representative images and schematic diagrams.

An experimental study on pressure drop of air-oil flow in horizontal pipes using two synthetic oils

This study focuses on the frictional pressure drop in gas-liquid two-phase flow, characterized by nonlinear behavior under various flow conditions due to complex two-phase phenomena. The experimental investigation involves an air-oil mixture flowing through horizontal pipes with diameters of 20 mm and 40 mm, aiming to observe the flow patterns and quantify the pressure drop. Two oils with different thermophysical properties are used as the liquid phase. The operating temperature and pressure of the test pipes are controlled within the range of 24–44°C and 1–3 bar, respectively. Seven air-oil flow patterns are identified based on visualization results: stratified smooth, stratified wavy, annular, plug, slug, bubbly, and dispersed bubble flows. On analyzing 1043 data points from the experiment, this study explores the effects of total mass velocity, flow quality, pipe diameter, operating temperature, operating pressure, and oil type on the frictional pressure gradient. Particular attention is given to the variation of the frictional pressure gradient concerning operating pressure, and its relationship with total mass velocity, flow quality, and flow pattern is discussed. Additionally, the study examines predictions from 55 previous correlations against the current pressure drop data. The predictive capability of these correlations is evaluated for the entire dataset and its subsets, categorized by oil type, pipe diameter, operating pressure, flow condition, total mass velocity, flow quality, and flow pattern. Evaluation metrics include mean absolute errors and the proportions of data points within 30% and 50% of absolute error. In addition, average and standard deviation values are calculated for each dataset to provide a comprehensive assessment.

Measurement of Gas Fraction in Gas-Liquid Dispersed Bubbly Flow With EMAT Array and EIT Sensor

Measurement of Gas Fraction in Gas-Liquid Dispersed Bubbly Flow With EMAT Array and EIT Sensor

IMPROVEMENT OF METHODS FOR CALCULATION OF GAS-LIQUID SLUG OF FLOW IN PIPELINES

To calculate pressure losses during transportation of gas-liquid fluids in flowlines, it is important to correctly estimate the effective density and viscosity of the mixture, which increases the accuracy of calculating the tangential stresses required to determine hydraulic pressure losses at the liquid-wall boundary. The determining parameter when calculating the effective values of the density and viscosity of the mixture is the coefficient liquid holdup in the cross section of the pipeline. The article analyzes the applicability of empirical methods for modeling two-phase gas-liquid currents when calculating liquid holdup in slug body of a intermittent (slug) flow in horizontal pipelines. A description is given of the mechanistic approach proposed by Zhang to calculate the liquid holdup in the slug body used in one of the most famous modern models of gas-liquid flow — TUFFP Unified model. The results of calculating the actual liquid holdup in the slug body using the TUFFP Unified model hydrodynamic model are presented, showing good consistency of the calculated data with experimental ones for vertically located pipelines, and unsatisfactory consistency for currents in horizontal pipes. The purpose of the article is to improve the methods of calculating the gas-liquid slug structure of the current using the TUFFP Unified model, by improving the accuracy of calculating the liquid holdup in the slug body at the horizontal location of the flowline. The proposal to use in the TUFFP Unified model a new approach to assessing the stable diameter of the gas bubble of the dispersed-bubble flow regime in the body of a liquid slug made it possible to increase the reliability of calculating the liquid holdup in the slug body with a horizontal location of the pipeline.

Numerical modelling of two-phase flow hydrodynamics of column flotation - validation against ERT data

ABSTRACT In mineral processing, column flotation is being used extensively for fine particle beneficiation. Although a few attempts were made to develop computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models for column flotation in the past, validation against comprehensive experimental data is yet to be demonstrated. This work employs an Eulerian-Eulerian model coupled with the standard k-ε turbulence model for modeling the hydrodynamics in the column flotation. The two-phase simulations were performed on both laboratory and industrial-scale column flotations. The two-fluid model was further modified with the appropriate interphase forces (Ishii-Zuber drag force and Tomiyama lift force) and population balance method (PBM) to accurately simulate and predict the bubble dynamics. The axial and radial gas holdup variations along with the axial liquid velocity are predicted at different air and liquid superficial velocities. The numerical predictions were then validated against the Electrical Resistance Tomography (ERT) data in a 4-inch laboratory column flotation and conductivity probe data in an industrial column flotation. The modified two-fluid model was able to predict accurate hydrodynamics close to ERT data. The gas holdup was found to increase with the superficial air velocity, liquid height, and liquid velocity. The gas holdup found uniformly dispersed radially at low superficial air velocities and heterogenous dispersed bubble flow at higher superficial velocities. A parabolic profile of liquid flow observed at higher superficial air velocities.

A Comparative Study of Flow Boiling Heat Transfer and Pressure Drop Characteristics in a Pin-Finned Heat Sink at Horizontal/Vertical Upward Flow Orientations

Abstract With the continuous development of power electronic devices toward miniaturization and compactness, it is necessary to develop more efficient flow boiling heat transfer technologies. In this work, the flow boiling heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of Novec649 in a pin finned channel under two kinds of flow orientations (horizontal and vertical upward) are experimentally investigated. Heat flux, inlet flow velocity, and inlet subcooling are considered as the variable parameters. The results show that among all boiling operating conditions, the heat transfer performances between two orientations are basically consistent, while the pressure drop of vertical upward pin finned channel is relatively lower, indicating that the comprehensive flow boiling heat transfer performance of vertical oriented channel is better. Subsequently, a series of flow visualization experiments are performed in vertical upward pin finned channel. With the increase of heat flux, four kinds of flow pattern are discovered in the order of dispersed bubble flow, bubble flow, homogeneous flow, and annular flow. In the region of annular flow, although a vapor flow has already formed in the channel, there is still a large amount of liquid phase surrounding the wall and pin fins. Therefore, no obvious heat transfer deterioration was observed in the pin finned channel. Along the flow direction, the diameter of bubbles will increase first, and then present obvious oscillation. As the heat flux increases, both the average bubble detachment diameter and the frequency increase correspondingly. As the fluid velocity increases, the average bubble detachment diameter presents a downward trend, while the average bubble detachment frequency presents an upward trend.

Experimental study on turbulent characteristics of dispersed bubbly flow in a narrow rectangular channel by two-phase PIV

Narrow rectangular channels are widely used in high heat flux applications, due to the high heat transfer efficiency and compact structure. However, a rare understanding was known about the two-phase turbulent characteristics. In this study, an experimental investigation of bubble and turbulent characteristics of dispersed bubbly flow in the narrow rectangular channel was carried out by using the high-speed camera and two-phase particle image velocimetry. The bubble size effect was studied independently using the continuous spectrum bubble generator. According to the results, the bubble size distribution conforms to a Weibull distribution, and the wall-peak void fraction distributions were found. Both turbulent enhancement and suppression were observed in current conditions. Large bubbles enhance turbulence intensity, while small bubbles suppress it. The eddy viscosity ratio ϕ characterizes the modification of turbulence intensity by bubbles, with a critical value of ϕ=1.

Experimental investigation of the critical Reynolds number for bubbly two-phase flow

The critical Reynolds number for dispersed bubbly two-phase flows, gas in liquid, was experimentally investigated. In this experiment, the gas was air and the liquid was water. Water flowed upward through a vertical, translucent pipe, and air was introduced into the water prior to the test section by means of a basswood microbubbler. Dye was injected into the water to indicate when the flow transitioned from laminar to turbulent. Mixtures with gas volume fractions up to 10% were tested, and the Reynolds numbers for which the flow transitioned from laminar to turbulent were recorded. The data showed that the critical Reynolds number fell to roughly one-half of its original single-phase liquid value once the gas volume fractions exceeded 0.1%. These results indicate that the presence of even small amounts of bubbles causes pre-mature transition to turbulence.

Experimental investigation on interface characteristics of gas-liquid two-phase flow in a kilometer-scale pipeline

It is greatly essential for the construction of multiphase flow models and the flow assurance of oil and gas pipelines to study the fully developed interface characteristics at different flow patterns in the industrial-grade long-distance pipelines. In this paper, the phase interface structures of dispersed bubble flow and three slug sub-flow patterns are captured by visualization method in a 46 mm ID, 1657 m long pipeline. It is found that the interface characteristics between elongated bubbles and liquid film can effectively distinguish different slug sub-flow patterns, and a quantitative division criterion between different slug sub-flow patterns is proposed. The transition boundary prediction model for dispersed bubble flow and slug flow in long pipeline is established, and the flow pattern map at high liquid velocities and low gas velocities is plotted. With the increase of two-phase mixture velocity, the radial position of elongated bubble head approaches the middle of the pipeline, and the liquid film thickness is stably distributed around 0.37 D. The correlations that predict the radial position of elongated bubble head, liquid film thickness, and elongated bubble velocity for long pipeline are established, with maximum error less than 15 %.

The interfacial modes and modal causality in a dispersed bubbly turbulent flow

While data-driven analysis has demonstrated significant success in single-phase flow systems, its application to multi-phase flows has been relatively limited with fewer examples. In this study, we present a modal analysis and modal causality analysis of dispersed bubbly turbulent flow, with the aim of providing new insights into the interfacial gas–liquid interaction. Our study employs an in-house coupled level-set volume-of-fluid solver, which is combined with a modified fast Fourier transforms algorithm to perform interface-resolved direct numerical simulations in a turbulent channel flow with 96 bubbles occupying 5.4% volume. In the downward flow orientation, we observe that bubbles are mainly clustered in the channel center, producing pseudo-turbulence with isotropic characteristics. We apply the proper orthogonal decomposition method to the phase-resolved, three-dimensional velocity field, radius of the bubble as well as the surface tension force in order to extract the dominant modes. Notably, our results reveal the presence of two energetic modes in both the gas and liquid phases, as well as the interface, namely, the vortex-ring mode and the quadrupolar mode. We further investigate the causal relationship across the gas–liquid interface using the modal information transfer entropy. Our findings demonstrate a strong causality between the gas phase and the surface tension, whereas the causality between the liquid phase and surface tension is comparatively weak due to the multi-scale characteristics of the turbulent fields. Overall, our novel approach to investigating the interfacial gas–liquid interaction in dispersed bubbly turbulent flow provides valuable insights that enhance physical understanding and could lead to improved flow control and efficiency in a range of industrial processes. The identification of previously unidentified energetic modes using the POD method has the potential to advance research in this field, with potential implications for future design of control strategies in complex systems.

Investigation of flow regimes, pressure drop, void fraction, film thickness, friction factor and production of two-phase flow in a perforated horizontal wellbore

This study focuses on investigating the impact of flow patterns on production in perforated horizontal wellbores. According to experimental and numerical results, this paper discussion the behaviour of total pressure drop, mixture superficial velocity, void fraction, liquid film thickness, and production that occur with various flow patterns in a perforated horizontal pipe. The flow patterns were predicted experimentally and numerically using a pipe with a length of 3 m and an internal diameter of 0.0381 m, with two perforations of inside diameter 0.004 m with a phasing angle of °180, to simulate the complex flow in horizontal wellbores. Total pressure drop and liquid film thickness were reduced by increasing the radial air flow of the perforations. At the same time, void fraction and mixture superficial velocity were observed to increase. Additionally, the film thickness increased with the holdup fraction but decreased with the void fraction. The local friction factor reflected the behaviour of the mixture's superficial velocity during the region of the perforations. The friction factor with the perforated horizontal pipe was greater than that in the unperforated horizontal pipe. The liquid product increased with an increase in the mixture's superficial velocity, and the percentage amounts of production shown were 10%, 40%, and 75%, depending on the water's superficial velocity. The convergence between experimental and numerical results was good during the flow patterns (slug flow and stratified flow). In contrast, some differences in the static pressure drop behaviour occur during flow patterns (bubble flow, dispersed bubble flow, and stratified wave flow).

Improving production and prediction of the flow regimes, pressure drop, and void fraction in the perforated horizontal wellbore

This study aimed to investigate how oil production could be improved by experimenting with different distribution methods across multiple profiles. The authors tested five different profiles that included uniform radial airflow (explained in profile 1) and variable radial airflow (explained in profiles 2, 3, 4 and 5) in a perforated horizontal wellbore. In addition, the study predicted the behavior of total pressure drop, superficial mixture velocity and void fraction encountered in different flow patterns (bubble, slug, stratum and stratum wave flow). Flow patterns were predicted using ANSYS Fluent R3 with a borehole length of 3 m and an ID of 0.0381 m. This was designed with 12 perforations opening vertically at the wellbore with a phase angle of 180 and a perforation density of 4 shots per foot to simulate the complex flow in a horizontal wellbore. In the perforated section, there was a fluctuation in the behavior of the parameters, while in the non-perforated section, the behavior remained constant. The behavior of the total pressure drop, the superficial velocity mixtures and the void fraction were also reasonably uniform in profile 1 in the perforated section.In contrast, they were irregular in the other profiles. In profiles 2, 3, 4 and 5, the behavior of the mixture superficial velocity and void fraction was inverse to the total pressure drop. Note that all theoretically calculated pressure drop modes increased as the Reynolds number of the mixture increased. The liquid and air product increased with increasing Reynolds number of mixture flow in the profiles. In contrast, in profile 1, lower production was obtained through all flow patterns due to the influence of the mixture pressure and the friction factor. The Vogels method was used to calculate maximum production from the horizontal wellbore. The convergence between experimental and numerical results was good during all cases (flow patterns), with some difference in the static pressure drop behaviuor occurring during flow patterns (bubble, dispersed bubble and slug flow).

State of the Art on Two-Phase Non-Miscible Liquid/Gas Flow Transport Analysis in Radial Centrifugal Pumps Part C: CFD Approaches with Emphasis on Improved Models

Predicting pump performance and ensuring operational reliability under two-phase conditions is a major goal of three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of liquid/gas radial centrifugal pump flows. Hence, 3D CFD methods are increasingly applied to such flows in academia and industry. The CFD analysis of liquid/gas pump flows demands careful selection of sub-models from several fields in CFD, such as two-phase and turbulence modeling, as well as high-quality meshing of complex geometries. This paper presents an overview of current CFD simulation strategies, and recent progress in two-phase modeling is outlined. Particular focus is given to different approaches for dispersed bubbly flow and coherent gas accumulations. For dispersed bubbly flow regions, Euler–Euler Two-Fluid models are discussed, including population balance and bubble interaction models. For coherent gas pocket flow, essentially interface-capturing Volume-of-Fluid methods are applied. A hybrid model is suggested, i.e., a combination of an Euler–Euler Two-Fluid model with interface-capturing properties, predicting bubbly flow regimes as well as regimes with coherent gas pockets. The importance of considering scale-resolving turbulence models for highly-unsteady two-phase flow regions is emphasized.

Effect of pipe size on erosion measurements and predictions in liquid-dominated multiphase flows for the elbows

Solid particle erosion in pipelines and pipe fittings occurs when solids are produced in the oil and gas industries during transporting fluids. Erosion of elbows in series for liquid-dominated flows has gained recognition as many oil fields operate in deep-water subsea flow lines and also in conventional wells onshore. Although significant data is available for gas-dominated flows, the data for liquid-dominated flows are scarce and limited to 50.8 mm pipe elbows in dispersed bubble flow only. Thus, it is essential to determine erosion for different pipe sizes to investigate the pipe size effect and for different flow regimes. This work conducts experiments in vertical liquid-solid flows, and liquid-gas-solid churn flows to examine erosion using 340 μm sand particles in 50.8 mm and 76.2 mm standard SS316 elbows in series separated at a distance of three diameters between them. In addition, flow visualization and paint-removal experiments are conducted to predict the erosion patterns in the elbows. Furthermore, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations are performed to simulate the experimental conditions. Eulerian and VOF multiphase models with different turbulence models are used in CFD simulations to predict erosion on the elbows in series and compare with the experimental results. The CFD results, when modified to account for the lubrication effects of the liquid, can predict the experimentally observed erosion pattern and the magnitudes.

Comparative Analysis of Riser Base and Flowline Gas Injection on Vertical Gas-Liquid Two-Phase Flow

Gas injection is a frequently used method for artificial lift and flow regime rectification in offshore production and transportation flowlines. The flow behaviour in such flowlines is complex and a better understanding of flow characteristics, such as flow patterns, void fraction/hold up distributions and pressure gradient is always required for efficient and optimal design of downstream handling facilities. Injection method and location have been shown to strongly affect downstream fluid behaviour that can have important implications for pumping and downstream facility design, especially if the development length between pipeline and downstream facility is less than L/D = 50 as reported by many investigators. In this article, we provide the results of an experimental investigation into the effects of the gas injection position on the characteristics of the downstream upwards vertical gas flow using a vertical riser with an internal diameter of 52 mm and a length of 10.5 m. A horizontal 40-m-long section connected at the bottom provides options for riser base or horizontal flow line injection of gas. The flowline gas injection is performed 40 m upstream of the riser base. A 16 by 16 capacitance wire mesh sensor and a gamma densitometer were used to measure the gas-liquid phase cross-sectional distribution at the riser top. A detailed analysis of the flow characteristics is carried out based on the measurements. These include flow regimes, cross-sectional liquid holdup distributions and peaking patterns as well as analysis of the time series data. Our findings show that flow behaviours differences due to different gas injection locations were persisting after a development length of 180D in the riser. More specifically, core-peaking liquid holdup occurred at the lower gas injection rates through the flowline, while wall-peaking holdup profiles were established at the same flow conditions for riser base injection. Wall peaking was associated with dispersed bubbly flows and hence non-pulsating as against core-peaking was associated with Taylor bubbles and slug flows. Furthermore, it was found that the riser base injection generally produced lower holdups. It was noted that the circumferential injector used at the riser base promoted high void fraction and hence low liquid holdups. Due to the bubbly flow structure, the slip velocity is smaller than for larger cap bubbles and hence the void fraction is higher. The measurements and observations presented in the paper provides valuable knowledge on riser base/flowline gas introduction that can directly feed into the design of downstream facilities such as storage tanks, slug catchers and separators.

Numerical simulation and experimental study of gas–liquid two-phase flow pattern of hydrodynamic retarder

The internal flow of hydrodynamic retarder is a three-dimensional, complex, viscous, and unstable gas–liquid two-phase flow. The importance of numerical simulation of a hydrodynamic retarder has been paid attention to, but the research on the two-phase flow pattern of the retarder is rarely. Flow pattern diagnosis plays an important role in the study of two-phase flow because the premise of establishing the mathematical model of the two-phase flow is to accurately determine the flow structure of the flow system. Based on the numerical simulation and experimental research, this study found the corresponding relationship between the two-phase flow distribution inside the hydrodynamic retarder and the filling rate (expressed as “q”). The result shows that, when q = 0.1–0.2, the liquid in the working chamber is less. Under the action of centrifugal force, the liquid mainly gets distributed in the outer ring of the circulating circle, forming a laminar flow. When q = 0.3–0.4, the flow pattern of the gas–liquid two-phase flow changes from the laminar flow to slug flow. When q = 0.5–0.9, with a further increase in the filling ratio, the flow becomes a dispersed bubble flow. This paper provides an effective method for the analysis and identification of the two-phase flow pattern of a hydrodynamic retarder.