Multiphase Mixture Research Articles

Oil-water separation in a cylindrical cyclone with vortex finder

Cylindrical cyclones are always used in the petroleum industry to separate the oil-water two-phase mixtures or treatment the waste water. Here, we use dimensional analysis and multiphase flow numerical simulation to analyze the separation process in a cylindrical cyclone with a vortex finder to better understand the theory and characteristics of separation. In the dimensional analysis, we consider all structural, flow, and operating parameters. A multiphase mixture model is used to simulate oil-water two-phase flow and separation in a cylindrical cyclone. There is a vortex in the core of the cylinder, and its structure is influenced by the diameter of the overflow pipe, the inlet velocity, and the flow split ratio. However, the influence of these three factors on the equivalent diameter of the vortex core can be ignored. Moreover, the inlet velocity has little influence on the equivalent length of the vortex core. Therefore, the structure of the vortex core can be calculated from the diameter and flow split ratio of the up-outlet of the cylindrical cyclone. Oil-water separation increases as the diameter of the oil droplet increases. The separation efficiency of the cylindrical cyclone with vortex can reach 80% if the inlet dispersion droplet diameter is larger than 1 mm. The oil volume fractions in the up- and down-outlets decrease as the overflow split ratio increases. The flow split ratio is the only operating parameter to consider to obtain the best separation results for a cylindrical cyclone with a fixed inlet oil-water mixture.

Numerical Investigation on Oil/Water Separation by Compact Nozzle- Axial Hydrocyclone

The separation of fluid-fluid mixtures is a major issue in various sectors. The liquid-liquid hydro-cyclone has a wide range of applications in various sectors due to its great efficiency in separating fluid mixtures, ease of installation, and low cost. In crude oil production, high water is consumed following the degrading of production quality, high processing costs, costs, and environmental impacts. Axial hydro cyclone is a tool for Downhole Oil/Water Separation (DOWS) in the petroleum production industry, but it has limitations. The main purpose of this work is to simulate the effect of compacting the conventional inline hydro cyclone with a converging-diverging nozzle on the oil/water dynamic flow and the separation process to resolve the high water cut problem. This study presents a three-dimensional simulation to compute fluid dynamics using the mixture multiphase and SST k-omega turbulence models for Reynolds numbers less than 66000. The operational flow variables are a mixture: flow rate (14, 28, and 56 m3/h) and oil/water ratio (15/85, 25/75, 30/70, and 35/65). Results indicate an enhancement in the axial and tangential velocity components by 15% and 50%, respectively, for the proposed design compared with the conventional cyclone. The oil separation efficiency for the new design is 89%, while for the conventional cyclone is 60%.

Emerging Separation Applications of Surface Superwettability.

Human beings are facing severe global environmental problems and sustainable development problems. Effective separation technology plays an essential role in solving these challenges. In the past decades, superwettability (e.g., superhydrophobicity and underwater superoleophobicity) has succeeded in achieving oil/water separation. The mixture of oil and water is just the tip of the iceberg of the mixtures that need to be separated, so the wettability-based separation strategy should be extended to treat other kinds of liquid/liquid or liquid/gas mixtures. This review aims at generalizing the approach of the well-developed oil/water separation to separate various multiphase mixtures based on the surface superwettability. Superhydrophobic and even superoleophobic surface microstructures have liquid-repellent properties, making different liquids keep away from them. Inspired by the process of oil/water separation, liquid polymers can be separated from water by using underwater superpolymphobic materials. Meanwhile, the underwater superaerophobic and superaerophilic porous materials are successfully used to collect or remove gas bubbles in a liquid, thus achieving liquid/gas separation. We believe that the diversified wettability-based separation methods can be potentially applied in industrial manufacture, energy use, environmental protection, agricultural production, and so on.

Mono- and multi-diameter approaches to predict stratified flow structure by means of CFD simulations in DAF systems

This paper presents a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model of a pilot scale dissolved air flotation (DAF) tank. A Multiphase Mixture model was used to analyse the influence of bubble sizes on the formation of a stratified flow structure. Critical bubble diameter is defined as the size of the bubble that implies the equality of the bubble rising velocity and flow downward velocity in the separation zone (SZ). The fact as to whether using air bubble sizes which are greater or less than the critical diameter value significantly affects the air content, flow structure and the limit of the whitewater blanket inside the SZ is assessed. The study was carried out using two approaches, namely, mono- and multi-diameter. The results obtained via the mono-diameter approach proved to be closely in line with experimental data when air concentration in the SZ had almost, but not quite, a constant value. However, it failed to predict the case of the progressive decrease in air below half of SZ height. A combined effect of bubbles with different rising speed was required to reproduce a smooth air profile curve, as measured experimentally. In this context, a multi-diameter approach is deemed to be a suitable method for reproducing the stratified structure. In addition, this approach offers the chance to study bubble size distribution inside the SZ domain.

Concentration and pressure measurements of dense sand and gravel multiphase flows under transient flow conditions in a vertically oriented closed conduit — Assessment of system and sensor performance

The hydraulic transport of sediments in sediment–water multiphase mixtures is an important process in nature and many industrial applications. The flows are characterized by complex transient phenomena, in which the overall system scale and the particle scale are equally important. Experimental research into dense mixture flows is focused on measurement of flowrates, differential pressures and concentrations of the suspended sediments.Concentration measurements are especially challenging in the case of coarse particles (beyond millimeter size scale) flowing in dense mixtures, limiting the range of available sensors for accurately measuring the in-situ solids concentrations. For the investigation of transient processes, a quick sensor response is required, which makes concentration measurement based on mixture conductivity an interesting option.This study is focused on combined concentration and pressure measurements in dense sediment–water mixtures with coarse particles in a vertically oriented closed conduit, using differential pressure sensors over the vertical segments and conductivity probes for measuring the mixture concentration. We experimentally investigated the dispersion process of an initially densely packed batch of sand and gravel by measuring the concentration on different segments of the conduit, resulting in data on mixture wall shear stresses for different sand and gravel mixtures and data of attenuation of concentration gradients in vertical upward and downward flow, in the conduit horizontal top section and in the centrifugal pump.We describe in the detail the sensor calibration and data processing method, giving a best practice for the use of conductivity concentration sensors in dense coarse particle mixtures, and we suggest a novel method for analysis of density wave amplification and attenuation based on concentration measurements in general, which allows for the detailed analysis of transient multiphase flow phenomena at pipe system component level.

Симуляція процесу експандованого приготування кормів

Expanded feed preparation is carried out on the appropriate high-temperature short-term equipment of the HTST family - expanders, which are able to perform the task of cooking food and feed under high pressure. In addition to the chemical processes that occur during expansion (denaturation of proteins, amino acids, vitamins, starch and enzymes), there is a change in the physical and mechanical properties of feed components and their transformation into expands. From the point of view of process physics, the process of expander formation in the expander is reduced to pressing a mixture of solid (grain components), liquid (in the form of moisture) and gaseous (vapor) phases by a screw working body through a forming nozzle under the action of an external heat source. From the point of view of mathematical description, this process is complex and therefore can be described by computer simulation. Analyzing the capabilities of these software packages for the task of simulating the formation of agglomerates (expanders) in the expander was chosen Star CCM +. The simulation of the process of expanded feed preparation in the software package Star CCM + provides the prerequisites for justifying the range of rational parameters of the expander. The simulation of the expander operation allows to determine as research criteria: the pressure in the cavity between the screw and the cylinder of the expander, the density of the obtained expands, the performance of the expander, the temperature scalar field and the velocity field vector of the multiphase mixture. As research factors should be chosen: the phase ratio of the multiphase mixture, the speed of rotation of the screw, the temperature of the heater, diameter, length and pitch of the screw.

A drift model N of a velocity mixture and the evolution of a discontinuous solution of a two-velocity drift model

At present, to describe the two-velocity flow of a multiphase mixture, either a two-fluid model is used; or a drift model using simplified momentum equations that do not take into account inertial forces. The corresponding system of equations for a two-fluid model with the same phase pressure without special, postulated, stabilizing terms is non-hyperbolic. This can lead to difficulties in finding a solution. Accounting for the difference in phase pressure in this model can lead to instability of solutions, which can also complicate the search for a solution. The drift model, which is the subject of this work, does not have this shortcoming. The case of N phase velocities (N > 2), considered in this article, has not been studied so far, although it has a large area of practical applications, for example, a three-velocity flow of a dispersed-film flow in the energy and chemical industries, and others. Hyperbolicity and characteristics are investigated. The characteristic equation of the system, which has N-1 degree, is analyzed. It is proved that there is one eigenvalue between neighboring speeds. If the k phases have the same speed, then the k-1 eigenvalue is equal to that same speed. So, if there are no coinciding phase velocities, or the number of phases with the same speed does not exceed 2, then all eigenvalues are real and different, which means that the system is hyperbolic. If the number of phases with the same speed exceeds 2, then all eigenvalues are also real, but there are multiples among them. An additional study carried out for this case showed that the system is also hyperbolic. An analytical solution of the discontinuity decay problem for a three-velocity flow (N=3) is found. It is assumed that the speed difference between the first and second phases is much greater than the speed difference between the second and third phases. Without this assumption, the solution can be found numerically. For the case of two phase velocities (N = 2), an analytical solution is found that describes the transition from a continuous distribution to a jump. This solution describes the flow for a given dependence of the slip rate on the regime parameter.

Surface enhanced performance of La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ cathodes by infiltration Pr-Ni-Mn-O progress

The present study reports the enhancement of electrochemical oxygen reduction activity of porous La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3−δ (LSCF) cathodes by coating a thin film of Pr-Ni-Mn oxide (PNM5) using a multi-step infiltration process. XRD examination reveals that PNM5 mainly contains a multiphase mixture of Pr6O11, PrNiO3, MnO and NiO. SEM morphology shows a thin PNM5 film and small particles are formed on the surface of LSCF backbone particles. Impedance spectrum analysis indicates that PNM5 infiltrated LSCF exhibits dramatically reduced polarization resistance (Rp), reaching Rp of 0.244 Ω cm2 at 973 K, which is one-half of the baseline LSCF cathode. The activation energy of LSCF cathodes infiltrated with PNM5 is 1.45 eV, slightly lower than the baseline LSCF cathode (1.77 eV). Distribution of relaxation time (DRT) function analysis shows PNM5 infiltration layer significantly promotes the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) of cathode surface. With the increase in firing temperature, the total resistance increases and Rp changes from ion transport to oxygen reduction reaction. Degradation rate of the PNM5-infiltrated LSCF is also lower, 0.02168% vs 0.07093% for the baseline LSCF over a 200-h period. A single cell testing indicated that the peak power density of the PNM5-infiltrated cell was increased by 140.66%. Overall, PNM5 could be a potential catalyst for boosting the performance of a commercial LSCF cathode for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC).

Effects of Selection of Inlet Perturbations, Multiphase and Turbulence Equations on Slug Flow Characteristics Using Altair® AcuSolve™

Selection of inlet perturbations, multiphase equations, and the turbulence equation may affect the development of slug flow using computational fluid dynamic simulation tools. The inlet perturbation, such as sinusoidal and random perturbations, play an essential role in inducing slug formation. Multiphase equations such as volume of fluid and level set methods are used to track and capture the gas-liquid immiscible interface. Similarly, turbulence equations such as Spalart Allmaras (SA), Detached Eddy Simulations (DES), k-omega, and k-epsilon can be used to predict the evolution of turbulence within the flow. At present, no direct comparison is available in the literature on the selection of (i) types of inlet perturbations, (ii) the choice of multiphase equations, and (iii) the turbulence equation on the development of slug flow using the Altair computational package. This article aims to compare the effects of the selection of inlet perturbations, multiphase models and turbulence equations on slug flow characteristics using Altair® AcuSolve™. The findings by Altair® simulation were compared to published experimental data and simulation works using ANSYS and STAR-CCM+. The slug flow characteristics of interest include slug morphology, a body length-to-diameter ratio, velocity, frequency, and pressure gradient. It was found that the slug flow could be developed for all combinations of settings. Although level set approach in Altair® can track fluid motion successfully, it has a limitation in modelling the convective transport of the multiphase mixture well, unlike ANSYS and STAR-CCM+. Compared to the standard level set method, the coupling of back-and-forth error compensation and correction with the level set function helps to capture the internal boundary more accurately by reducing errors caused by numerical diffusion in the transport of the level set. It was revealed that the Spalart Allmaras turbulence equation could mimic published experimental result better than DES as it produced the closest slug translational velocity. Since the frequency of the slugs for the developed models showed a good agreement with the published data, the models could be sufficient for the investigation of fluid-structure interaction.

Hydrothermal performance of single and hybrid nanofluids in Left-Right and Up-Down wavy microchannels using two-phase mixture approach

The aim of this study is to explore the hydrothermal attributes of three types of nanofluid containing the silver nanoparticles, aluminum oxide nanoparticles, and hybrid silver–aluminum oxide nanoparticles in two different types of microchannel, namely Left-Right and Up-Down wavy microchannels. The multi-phase mixture model is utilized to numerically simulate the flow at constant pumping powers. The results unmask that the secondary flow formed due to the wavy structure is more severe for the Left-Right wavy microchannel compared to the Up-Down one. Also, a maximum 330% enhancement in the convective heat transfer coefficient was observed for the Up-Down wavy microchannel working with the silver nanofluid, while the same value for the Left-Right one was 200%. Although the impact of using the nanofluids is more dominant for the Up-Down wavy microchannel, the Left-Right one exhibited better cooling performance in terms of the Nusselt number. It was observed that utilizing the nanofluids has minor impact on improving the bottom surface temperature uniformity for the Left-Right wavy microchannel, while for the Up-Down one this effect is more dominant. Lower amounts of thermal resistance were obtained in the case of using the nanofluids for both wavy structures, with more impact on the Up-Down one.

Thermal-Hydraulic Simulation of Cold Water Spray in a Nuclear Power Plant Containment

Sprays play an important role in cooling and decreasing pressure inside containment of nuclear reactor in emergency situations and excessive pressure of containment. When temperature and pressure exceed 120°C and 2 bars respectively, the sprays cool the inside of PWR containment. Containment spray system is designed to condense the steam to prevent the occurence of high pressure and temperature, which could lead to disintegrtion of containment and as result leakage of radioactive material to the environment. In this study a simulation of a concrete tank of reactor (containment) with 250 sprays is accomplished using Ansys Fluent software (18.2). Multiphase mixture model and k-ԑ realizable turbulence model is used to model the reactor. Associated equations are solved using finite volume method (SIMPLE algorithm with pressure and velocity coupling) in Ansys Fluent software. It is assumed that the flow regime is transient. Results of thermal-hydraulic function of spraying, which has decreased pressure and temperature, is presented.

An analysis of the unified formulation for the equilibrium problem of compositional multiphase mixtures

In this paper, we conduct a thorough mathematical analysis of the unified formulation advocated by Lauser et al. [Adv. Water Res. 34 (2011) 957–966] for compositional multiphase flows in porous media. The interest of this formulation lies in its potential to automatically handle the appearance and disappearance of phases. However, its practical implementation turned out to be not always robust for realistic fugacity laws associated with cubic equations of state, as shown by Ben Gharbia and Flauraud [Oil Gas Sci. Technol. 74 (2019) 43]. By focusing on the subproblem of phase equilibrium, we derive sufficient conditions for the existence of the corresponding system of equations. We trace back the difficulty of cubic laws to a deficiency of the Gibbs functions that comes into play due to the ``unifying’’ feature of the new formulation. We propose a partial remedy for this problem by extending the domain of definition of these functions in a natural way. Besides, we highlight the crucial but seemingly unknown fact that the unified formulation encapsulates all the properties known to physicists on phase equilibrium, such as the tangent plane criterion and the minimization of the Gibbs energy of the mixture.

Effect of microstructure on thermoelectric conversion efficiency in metastable δ-phase AgSbTe2

Herein, the effect of AgSbTe2 microstructure on the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of an AgSbTe2-based alloy was studied. The as-sintered sample exhibited material separation into a multiphase mixture of cubic Sb-rich AgSbTe2 (Ag21Sb28Te51), monoclinic Ag2Te with an inhomogeneous distribution, and an Sb-rich zone. The samples were subjected to heat treatment for 24 h at 523, 573, and 673 K. The results indicated that AgSbTe2 was metastable against Ag2Te and Sb2Te3 at 573 K. The accelerated kinetics induced the separation of AgSbTe2 into less-Sb-rich δ’-AgSbTe2 and Sb2Te3 with sub-µm sizes. The observations also revealed that AgSbTe2 was stable against Ag2Te and Sb2Te3 at 673 K. Micrometer-scale Ag2Te precipitates and rhombohedral Sb2Te3 phases were dissolved in the main matrix. Furthermore, single-phase δ-AgSbTe2 was stabilized with nanoscale precipitates of Ag2Te and Sb-rich nanodots. The thermoelectric transport properties of the heat-treated samples were investigated. The results indicated that the thermoelectric performance of the single-phase metastable structure with nanoscale precipitates was superior to that of the multiphase structure. Multiphase AgSbTe2 exhibited a low thermal conductivity; however, the effective Seebeck coefficient was balanced by the presence of multiple phases. This resulted in a low thermoelectric power factor. Metastable single-phase AgSbTe2, with Ag2Te and Sb-rich nanodots, exhibited a high Seebeck coefficient with a slightly low p-type conductivity. This resulted in a high thermoelectric power factor, and the presence of nanoscale precipitates lowered the thermal conductivity. It was concluded that the thermoelectric performance of metastable single-phase δ-AgSbTe2 was superior to that of multiphase AgSbTe2.

Mathematical Model of Airflow and Solid Particles Transport in The Human Nasal Cavity

As part of the mathematical model of the human respiratory system, a submodel is considered for the study of the non-steady airflow with solid particles (suspended particulate matter (PM) / dust particles) and the deposition of particles of various sizes in the human nasal cavity. It is assumed that the nasal cavity is divided by the bone-cartilaginous septum into two symmetrical (relative to the nasal septum) parts; the average geometry of the right part of the human nasal cavity is considered. The inhaled air is considered as a multiphase mixture of homogeneous single-component gas and solid dust particles. The Eulerian-Lagrangian approach to modeling the motion of a multiphase mixture is used: a viscous liquid model is used to describe the motion of the carrier gas phase; the carried phase (dust particles) is modeled as separate inclusions of various sizes. The process of heating the inhaled air due to its contact with the walls is also taken into account. The features of the unsteady flow of a multiphase air mixture with dust particles were obtained using Ansys CFX for several scenarios. It has been noted that when studying the airflow in the nasal cavity, it is necessary to take into account the presence of turbulence, for which it is proposed to use the k-ω model. The velocity fields of inhaled air in the nasal cavity have been obtained; presented temperature distributions in the nasal cavity at different time points; made estimates of air heating at different temperatures of inhaled air; gave estimates of the proportion of deposited particles in the nasal cavity depending on the particle size for real machine-building production; presented trajectories of movement of suspended particles. Thus, it is shown that more than 99.7 % of particles with a diameter of more than 10 microns deposit in the human nasal cavity; as the particle diameter and mass decrease, the proportion of deposited particles decreases. Suspended particles with a size of less than 2.5 microns almost do not deposit in the nasal cavity. They can penetrate deeper into the lower airways and lungs of a person with the inhaled air and, having fibrogenic and toxic effect, can cause diseases. The results obtained are in good agreement with the results of individual studies performed by other scientists. Further development of the model involves studying airflow in the human lungs and modeling the formation of diseases caused by the harmful effects of environmental factors (including dust particles) entering the human body by inhalation.

A Hybrid Reactive Multiphasic Mixture With a Compressible Fluid Solvent.

Mixture theory is a general framework that has been used to model mixtures of solid, fluid, and solute constituents, leading to significant advances in modeling the mechanics of biological tissues and cells. Though versatile and applicable to a wide range of problems in biomechanics and biophysics, standard multiphasic mixture frameworks incorporate neither dynamics of viscous fluids nor fluid compressibility, both of which facilitate the finite element implementation of computational fluid dynamics solvers. This study formulates governing equations for reactive multiphasic mixtures where the interstitial fluid has a solvent which is viscous and compressible. This hybrid reactive multiphasic framework uses state variables that include the deformation gradient of the porous solid matrix, the volumetric strain and rate of deformation of the solvent, the solute concentrations, and the relative velocities between the various constituents. Unlike standard formulations which employ a Lagrange multiplier to model fluid pressure, this framework requires the formulation of a function of state for the pressure, which depends on solvent volumetric strain and solute concentrations. Under isothermal conditions the formulation shows that the solvent volumetric strain remains continuous across interfaces between hybrid multiphasic domains. Apart from the Lagrange multiplier-state function distinction for the fluid pressure, and the ability to accommodate viscous fluid dynamics, this hybrid multiphasic framework remains fully consistent with standard multiphasic formulations previously employed in biomechanics. With these additional features, the hybrid multiphasic mixture theory makes it possible to address a wider range of problems that are important in biomechanics and mechanobiology.

Method for simplified simulation of the pseudo-viscosity of the flows with solid particles

The short review of the solid phase pseudo-viscosity CFD-simulation methods is presented. The simplified method based on Einstein’s equation, experimental data approximation, and the multiphase mixture model for the solid phase pseudo-viscosity simulation is proposed. The results of the experimental verification of the proposed method are presented, its terms of use are determined.

Turbulent forced convection and entropy analysis of a nanofluid through a 3D 90° elbow using a two‐phase approach

AbstractIn a scenario characterized by a secondary flow called Dean's vortices, thermal and flow behavior analysis is examined. Forced convection of an Al2O3–water nanofluid through a three‐dimensional (3D) 90° elbow was analyzed numerically using a multiphase mixture model. Turbulence is taken into account by using the shear‐stress transportk–ωmodel. Also, entropy production is presented to obtain the optimized conditions. Simulation parameters consist of different Reynolds numbers (10,000100,000), nanoparticle volume fraction , nanoparticle diameter . The findings reveal that the increase in the and theRealong with a smallerdpdiscourages the appearance of Dean vortices in the flow. The pressure drop increases with the increase in the volume fraction and the decrease in the nanoparticles' diameter. The highestNuMis observed at for . Significant heat transfer rates are observed near the outer wall. The minimum total entropy production is obtained atRe = 100,000 for and .

Numerical Investigation of Wall Shear Stress under Single-Phase and Two-Phase Flow in the Electrical Submersible Pump

The effects of the wall shear stress on an Electrical Submersible Pump (ESP) was investigated in this paper. A CFD model in ANSYS Fluent was proposed to simulate actual single-phase and two-phase flow. The bottom hole pressure was minimized by utilizing the artificial lift methods. The flowing fluids in pumps and pipes causes shear stress on surface interacting. In multiphase flow application pump damages on head degradation as well as shear stress affects. The K-ω turbulence model and the multiphase Mixture approach with the sliding technique used to solve the Navier-Stokes equation. To study the effects of gas-liquid (air-water) flow on the ESP and the pump handle ability, the rotation speeds were varied while the other parameters were kept constant. The rotation speeds simulated were at 500, 900, 1500, 2000 and 2500 rpm meanwhile the water flow rate and gas flow rate were kept constant with 20 L/min and 1% fraction, respectively. The results obtained show that as the rotation speeds were increased, the less concentration of the bubbles were observed, moreover the wall shear stress (WSS) increases. Although, the wall shear stress in both single-phase and two-phase flow were tend to increase as the blades length increased, however for the single-phase flow the WSS was found higher in all the simulated rotational speeds.

A new approach for solving nonlinear algebraic systems with complementarity conditions. Application to compositional multiphase equilibrium problems

We present a new method to solve general systems of equations containing complementarity conditions, with a special focus on those arising in the thermodynamics of multicomponent multiphase mixtures at equilibrium. Indeed, the unified formulation introduced by Lauser et al. (2011) has recently emerged as a promising way to automatically handle the appearance and disappearance of phases in porous media compositional multiphase flows. From a mathematical viewpoint and after discretization in space and time, this leads to a system consisting of algebraic equations and nonlinear complementarity equations. Due to the nonsmoothness of the latter, semismooth and smoothing methods commonly used for solving such a system are often slow or may not converge at all. This observation led us to design a new strategy called NPIPM (NonParametric Interior-Point Method). Inspired from interior-point methods in optimization, the technique we propose has the advantage of avoiding any parameter management while enjoying theoretical global convergence. This is validated by extensive numerical tests, in which we compare NPIPM to the Newton-min method, the standard reference for almost all reservoir engineers and thermodynamicists.

Structure and Superconductivity of Tin-Containing HfTiZrSnM (M = Cu, Fe, Nb, Ni) Medium-Entropy and High-Entropy Alloys.

In an attempt to incorporate tin (Sn) into high-entropy alloys composed of refractory metals Hf, Nb, Ti and Zr with the addition of 3d transition metals Cu, Fe, and Ni, we synthesized a series of alloys in the system HfTiZrSnM (M = Cu, Fe, Nb, Ni). The alloys were characterized crystallographically, microstructurally, and compositionally, and their physical properties were determined, with the emphasis on superconductivity. All Sn-containing alloys are multi-phase mixtures of intermetallic compounds (in most cases four). A common feature of the alloys is a microstructure of large crystalline grains of a hexagonal (Hf, Ti, Zr)5Sn3 partially ordered phase embedded in a matrix that also contains many small inclusions. In the HfTiZrSnCu alloy, some Cu is also incorporated into the grains. Based on the electrical resistivity, specific heat, and magnetization measurements, a superconducting (SC) state was observed in the HfTiZr, HfTiZrSn, HfTiZrSnNi, and HfTiZrSnNb alloys. The HfTiZrSnFe alloy shows a partial SC transition, whereas the HfTiZrSnCu alloy is non-superconducting. All SC alloys are type II superconductors and belong to the Anderson class of “dirty” superconductors.