TY - JOUR
T1 - CFD modeling of gas-liquid bubbly flow in horizontal pipes
T2 - Influence of bubble coalescence and breakup
AU - Ekambara, K.
AU - Sanders, R. Sean
AU - Nandakumar, K.
AU - Masliyah, J. H.
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - Modelling of gas-liquid bubbly flows is achieved by coupling a population balance equation with the three-dimensional, two-fluid, hydrodynamic model. For gas-liquid bubbly flows, an average bubble number density transport equation has been incorporated in the CFD code CFX 5.7 to describe the temporal and spatial evolution of the gas bubbles population. The coalescence and breakage effects of the gas bubbles are modeled. The coalescence by the random collision driven by turbulence and wake entrainment is considered, while for bubble breakage, the impact of turbulent eddies is considered. Local spatial variations of the gas volume fraction, interfacial area concentration, Sauter mean bubble diameter, and liquid velocity are compared against experimental data in a horizontal pipe, covering a range of gas (0.25 to 1.34m/s) and liquid (3.74 to 5.1m/s) superficial velocities and average volume fractions (4 to 21). The predicted local variations are in good agreement with the experimental measurements reported in the literature. Furthermore, the development of the flow pattern was examined at three different axial locations of L/D = 25, 148, and 253. The first location is close to the entrance region where the flow is still developing, while the second and the third represent nearly fully developed bubbly flow patterns.
AB - Modelling of gas-liquid bubbly flows is achieved by coupling a population balance equation with the three-dimensional, two-fluid, hydrodynamic model. For gas-liquid bubbly flows, an average bubble number density transport equation has been incorporated in the CFD code CFX 5.7 to describe the temporal and spatial evolution of the gas bubbles population. The coalescence and breakage effects of the gas bubbles are modeled. The coalescence by the random collision driven by turbulence and wake entrainment is considered, while for bubble breakage, the impact of turbulent eddies is considered. Local spatial variations of the gas volume fraction, interfacial area concentration, Sauter mean bubble diameter, and liquid velocity are compared against experimental data in a horizontal pipe, covering a range of gas (0.25 to 1.34m/s) and liquid (3.74 to 5.1m/s) superficial velocities and average volume fractions (4 to 21). The predicted local variations are in good agreement with the experimental measurements reported in the literature. Furthermore, the development of the flow pattern was examined at three different axial locations of L/D = 25, 148, and 253. The first location is close to the entrance region where the flow is still developing, while the second and the third represent nearly fully developed bubbly flow patterns.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84861052035&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1155/2012/620463
DO - 10.1155/2012/620463
M3 - 文章
AN - SCOPUS:84861052035
SN - 1687-806X
JO - International Journal of Chemical Engineering
JF - International Journal of Chemical Engineering
M1 - 620463
ER -