CFD simulation of bubbly two-phase flow in horizontal pipes

K. Ekambara; R. S. Sanders; K. Nandakumar; J. H. Masliyah

doi:10.1016/j.cej.2008.06.008

CFD simulation of bubbly two-phase flow in horizontal pipes

K. Ekambara, R. S. Sanders, K. Nandakumar^*, J. H. Masliyah

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

85 Scopus citations

Abstract

The internal phase distribution of co-current, air-water bubbly flow in a 50.3 mm i.d. horizontal pipeline has been modeled using the volume averaged multiphase flow equations. Liquid and gas volumetric superficial velocities varied in the range from 3.8 to 5.1 m/s and 0.2-1.0 m/s, respectively, and average gas volume fraction varied in the range from 4 to 16%. The predicted gas volume fraction and the mean liquid velocity are compared with the experimental data of Kocamustafaogullari and Wang [G. Kocamustafaogullari, Z. Wang, An experimental study on local interfacial parameters in a horizontal bubbly two-phase flow, Int. J. Multiphase Flow 17 (1991) 553-572], Kocamustafaogullari and Huang [G. Kocamustafaogullari, W.D. Huang, Internal structure and interfacial velocity development for bubbly two-phase flow, Nucl. Eng. Des. 151 (1994) 79-101] and Iskandrani and Kojasoy [A. Iskandrani, G. Kojasoy, Local void fraction and velocity field description in horizontal bubbly flow, Nucl. Eng. Des. 204 (2001) 117-128]. Good quantitative agreement with the experimental data is obtained with two different models (i.e., k-ε with constant bubble size and k-ε with population balance model). The model prediction shows better agreement with the experimental data with population balance than the constant bubble size predictions. The results indicate that the volume fraction has a maximum near the upper pipe wall, and the profiles tend to flatten with increasing liquid flow rate. It was found that increasing the gas flow rate at fixed liquid flow rate would increase the local volume fraction. The axial liquid mean velocity showed a relatively uniform distribution except near the upper pipe wall. An interesting feature of the liquid velocity distribution is that it tends to form a fully developed turbulent pipe-flow profile at the lower part of the pipe irrespective of the liquid and gas superficial velocities.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	277-288
Number of pages	12
Journal	Chemical Engineering Journal
Volume	144
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2008.06.008
State	Published - 15 Oct 2008
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

CFD
Flow pattern
Horizontal pipes
Population balance
Two-phase flows

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10.1016/j.cej.2008.06.008

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@article{ad10eedc6c81423cb31cb87cc35baafc,

title = "CFD simulation of bubbly two-phase flow in horizontal pipes",

abstract = "The internal phase distribution of co-current, air-water bubbly flow in a 50.3 mm i.d. horizontal pipeline has been modeled using the volume averaged multiphase flow equations. Liquid and gas volumetric superficial velocities varied in the range from 3.8 to 5.1 m/s and 0.2-1.0 m/s, respectively, and average gas volume fraction varied in the range from 4 to 16%. The predicted gas volume fraction and the mean liquid velocity are compared with the experimental data of Kocamustafaogullari and Wang [G. Kocamustafaogullari, Z. Wang, An experimental study on local interfacial parameters in a horizontal bubbly two-phase flow, Int. J. Multiphase Flow 17 (1991) 553-572], Kocamustafaogullari and Huang [G. Kocamustafaogullari, W.D. Huang, Internal structure and interfacial velocity development for bubbly two-phase flow, Nucl. Eng. Des. 151 (1994) 79-101] and Iskandrani and Kojasoy [A. Iskandrani, G. Kojasoy, Local void fraction and velocity field description in horizontal bubbly flow, Nucl. Eng. Des. 204 (2001) 117-128]. Good quantitative agreement with the experimental data is obtained with two different models (i.e., k-ε with constant bubble size and k-ε with population balance model). The model prediction shows better agreement with the experimental data with population balance than the constant bubble size predictions. The results indicate that the volume fraction has a maximum near the upper pipe wall, and the profiles tend to flatten with increasing liquid flow rate. It was found that increasing the gas flow rate at fixed liquid flow rate would increase the local volume fraction. The axial liquid mean velocity showed a relatively uniform distribution except near the upper pipe wall. An interesting feature of the liquid velocity distribution is that it tends to form a fully developed turbulent pipe-flow profile at the lower part of the pipe irrespective of the liquid and gas superficial velocities.",

keywords = "CFD, Flow pattern, Horizontal pipes, Population balance, Two-phase flows",

author = "K. Ekambara and Sanders, {R. S.} and K. Nandakumar and Masliyah, {J. H.}",

note = "Funding Information: The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and Syncrude Canada Ltd. for this project.",

year = "2008",

month = oct,

day = "15",

doi = "10.1016/j.cej.2008.06.008",

language = "英语",

volume = "144",

pages = "277--288",

journal = "Chemical Engineering Journal",

issn = "1385-8947",

publisher = "Elsevier",

number = "2",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - CFD simulation of bubbly two-phase flow in horizontal pipes

AU - Ekambara, K.

AU - Sanders, R. S.

AU - Nandakumar, K.

AU - Masliyah, J. H.

N1 - Funding Information: The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and Syncrude Canada Ltd. for this project.

PY - 2008/10/15

Y1 - 2008/10/15

N2 - The internal phase distribution of co-current, air-water bubbly flow in a 50.3 mm i.d. horizontal pipeline has been modeled using the volume averaged multiphase flow equations. Liquid and gas volumetric superficial velocities varied in the range from 3.8 to 5.1 m/s and 0.2-1.0 m/s, respectively, and average gas volume fraction varied in the range from 4 to 16%. The predicted gas volume fraction and the mean liquid velocity are compared with the experimental data of Kocamustafaogullari and Wang [G. Kocamustafaogullari, Z. Wang, An experimental study on local interfacial parameters in a horizontal bubbly two-phase flow, Int. J. Multiphase Flow 17 (1991) 553-572], Kocamustafaogullari and Huang [G. Kocamustafaogullari, W.D. Huang, Internal structure and interfacial velocity development for bubbly two-phase flow, Nucl. Eng. Des. 151 (1994) 79-101] and Iskandrani and Kojasoy [A. Iskandrani, G. Kojasoy, Local void fraction and velocity field description in horizontal bubbly flow, Nucl. Eng. Des. 204 (2001) 117-128]. Good quantitative agreement with the experimental data is obtained with two different models (i.e., k-ε with constant bubble size and k-ε with population balance model). The model prediction shows better agreement with the experimental data with population balance than the constant bubble size predictions. The results indicate that the volume fraction has a maximum near the upper pipe wall, and the profiles tend to flatten with increasing liquid flow rate. It was found that increasing the gas flow rate at fixed liquid flow rate would increase the local volume fraction. The axial liquid mean velocity showed a relatively uniform distribution except near the upper pipe wall. An interesting feature of the liquid velocity distribution is that it tends to form a fully developed turbulent pipe-flow profile at the lower part of the pipe irrespective of the liquid and gas superficial velocities.

AB - The internal phase distribution of co-current, air-water bubbly flow in a 50.3 mm i.d. horizontal pipeline has been modeled using the volume averaged multiphase flow equations. Liquid and gas volumetric superficial velocities varied in the range from 3.8 to 5.1 m/s and 0.2-1.0 m/s, respectively, and average gas volume fraction varied in the range from 4 to 16%. The predicted gas volume fraction and the mean liquid velocity are compared with the experimental data of Kocamustafaogullari and Wang [G. Kocamustafaogullari, Z. Wang, An experimental study on local interfacial parameters in a horizontal bubbly two-phase flow, Int. J. Multiphase Flow 17 (1991) 553-572], Kocamustafaogullari and Huang [G. Kocamustafaogullari, W.D. Huang, Internal structure and interfacial velocity development for bubbly two-phase flow, Nucl. Eng. Des. 151 (1994) 79-101] and Iskandrani and Kojasoy [A. Iskandrani, G. Kojasoy, Local void fraction and velocity field description in horizontal bubbly flow, Nucl. Eng. Des. 204 (2001) 117-128]. Good quantitative agreement with the experimental data is obtained with two different models (i.e., k-ε with constant bubble size and k-ε with population balance model). The model prediction shows better agreement with the experimental data with population balance than the constant bubble size predictions. The results indicate that the volume fraction has a maximum near the upper pipe wall, and the profiles tend to flatten with increasing liquid flow rate. It was found that increasing the gas flow rate at fixed liquid flow rate would increase the local volume fraction. The axial liquid mean velocity showed a relatively uniform distribution except near the upper pipe wall. An interesting feature of the liquid velocity distribution is that it tends to form a fully developed turbulent pipe-flow profile at the lower part of the pipe irrespective of the liquid and gas superficial velocities.

KW - CFD

KW - Flow pattern

KW - Horizontal pipes

KW - Population balance

KW - Two-phase flows

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DO - 10.1016/j.cej.2008.06.008

M3 - 文章

AN - SCOPUS:52149110580

SN - 1385-8947

VL - 144

SP - 277

EP - 288

JO - Chemical Engineering Journal

JF - Chemical Engineering Journal

IS - 2

ER -

CFD simulation of bubbly two-phase flow in horizontal pipes

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Keywords

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