Experimental investigation of horizontal air–water bubbly-to-plug and bubbly-to-slug transition flows in a 3.81 cm ID pipe

The present study seeks to investigate horizontal bubbly-to-plug and bubbly-to-slug transition flows. The two-phase flow structures and transition mechanisms in these transition flows are studied based on experimental database established using the local four-sensor conductivity probe in a 3.81 cm inner diameter pipe. While slug flow needs to be distinguished from plug flow due to the presence of large number of small bubbles (and thus, large interfacial area concentration), both differences and similarities are observed in the evolution of interfacial structures in bubbly-to-plug and bubbly-to-slug transitions. The bubbly-to-plug transition is studied by decreasing the liquid flow rate at a fixed gas flow rate. It is found that as the liquid flow rate is lowered, bubbles pack near the top wall of the pipe due to the diminished role of turbulent mixing. As the flow rate is lowered further, bubbles begin to coalesce and form the large bubbles characteristic of plug flow. Bubble size increases while bubble velocity decreases as liquid flow rate decreases, and the profile of the bubble velocity changes its shape due to the changing interfacial structure. The bubbly-to-slug transition is investigated by increasing the gas flow rate at a fixed liquid flow rate. In this transition, gas phase becomes more uniformly distributed throughout the cross-section due to the formation of large bubbles and the increasing bubble-induced turbulence. The size of small bubbles decreases while bubble velocity increases as gas flow rate increases. The distributions of bubble size and bubble velocity become more symmetric in this transition. While differences are observed in these two transitions, similarities are also noticed. As bubbly-to-plug or bubbly-to-slug transition occurs, the formation of large elongated bubbles is observed not in the uppermost region of bubble layer, but in a lower region. At the beginning of transitions, relative differences in phase velocities near the top of the pipe cross-section to those near the pipe center become larger for both gas and liquid phases, because more densely packed bubbles introduce more resistance to both phases.     

A visualized study of interfacial behavior of air–water two-phase flow in a rectangular Venturi channel

A visualized investigation was carried out on the effect of the diverging angle on the bubble motion and interfacial behavior in a Venturi-type bubble generator.It was found two or three large vortexes formed in the diverging section,resulting in strong reentrant jet flow in the front of the bubbles or slugs rushing out of the throat.The jet flow in return bumps into the ongoing bubbles or slugs,leading to strong interaction between the gas and liquid phases.The diverging angle has significant influence on the reentrant flow process and the performance of the bubble generator as well.Increasing the diverging angle results in the reentrant flow moving further forward to the upstream and intensifies the interaction between the two phases.As a consequence,the breakup or collapse of bubbles becomes more violent,whereby finer bubbles are generated.As such,the reentrant flow strongly links to the performance of the Venturi channel taken as a bubble generator,and that a moderate increase in the diverging angle can improve its performance without additional increase in flow resistance like that by increasing liquid flow rate.     

A study of the vibration of a horizontal U-bend subjected to an internal upwards flowing air–water mixture

U-bends are a common geometry in heat exchangers. In this paper, a U-bend in the vertical plane connected to horizontal straight pipes is considered. An initially stratified water/air flow moves upwards against gravity. The aim of this research is to investigate the internal flow profile and resulting force when the U-bend is subjected to a stratified air–water flow at the inlet. This is done numerically, i.e. by solving the unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations. For low mass flow rates, large gas bubbles are naturally formed at the entrance of the bend. The transient force on the tube allows to determine precisely the time instants of bubble initiation and thus to quantify the bubble frequency. Firstly, the tube is assumed to be rigid and the dependence of force oscillation on the inlet conditions is investigated. Secondly, the influence of the viscosity, wall wetting and the mass flow rate is analyzed. Finally, a fluid–structure interaction calculation is performed in order to quantify the vibration characteristics of the tube.     

Elongated bubble shape in inclined air-water slug flow

The shape of elongated bubbles in upward inclined air-water slug flow was studied experimentally by quantitative measurements of the cross sectional distribution of the phases within the pipe, using a wire mesh sensor. Ensemble-averaged shapes of elongated bubbles were determined for a wide range of gas and liquid flow rates, as well as for different pipe inclination angles. The elongated bubble nose can be characterized by an annular domain where liquid is present above the gas. The effect of gas and liquid flow rates, as well as of the pipe inclination angle on the bubble shape (front and tail) is studied. A simplified theoretical model is proposed to determine the bubble front shape. The model predictions compare favorably with the experimental results.     

NUMERICAL ANALYSIS ON THE VELOCITY AND PRESSURE FIELDS INDUCED BYMULTI-OSCILLATIONS OF AN UNDERWATER EXPLOSION BUBBLE

假设水下爆炸气泡的内部气体在膨胀收缩过程中满足绝热条件,周围流体无黏无旋不可压缩. 基于势流理论,采用边界元法研究气泡动力学行为,重点关注气泡引起的流场脉动载荷以及滞后流特性,给出了相关的理论推导和数值计算方法. 通过将数值结果与解析解、实验值进行对比,数值模型的收敛性和有效性能够得到保证. 利用编写的程序进行计算和分析,发现在气泡加速膨胀阶段,流场压力在气泡径向不一定是逐渐衰减,还有可能以先增后减的规律变化;气泡射流后,为了能够继续描述环状气泡的运动以及流场特性,将此时的流场分为无旋场和一个布置在气泡内部涡环的叠加,计算过程中采用了一些数值技巧处理气泡的拓扑结构,得以连续模拟多个周期的气泡运动. 环状气泡具有相对较高的上浮迁移速度,而且在其顶部和底部附近分别形成两个高压区,顶部的高压区峰值相对较大,底部的高压区范围相对较大. 环状气泡中心轴上的流场速度会在气泡中心有一个加速过程,在气泡顶部附近又迅速减小.     

气泡多周期运动时引起的流场压力与速度

假设水下爆炸气泡的内部气体在膨胀收缩过程中满足绝热条件,周围流体无黏无旋不可压缩. 基于势流理论,采用边界元法研究气泡动力学行为,重点关注气泡引起的流场脉动载荷以及滞后流特性,给出了相关的理论推导和数值计算方法. 通过将数值结果与解析解、实验值进行对比,数值模型的收敛性和有效性能够得到保证. 利用编写的程序进行计算和分析,发现在气泡加速膨胀阶段,流场压力在气泡径向不一定是逐渐衰减,还有可能以先增后减的规律变化;气泡射流后,为了能够继续描述环状气泡的运动以及流场特性,将此时的流场分为无旋场和一个布置在气泡内部涡环的叠加,计算过程中采用了一些数值技巧处理气泡的拓扑结构,得以连续模拟多个周期的气泡运动. 环状气泡具有相对较高的上浮迁移速度,而且在其顶部和底部附近分别形成两个高压区,顶部的高压区峰值相对较大,底部的高压区范围相对较大. 环状气泡中心轴上的流场速度会在气泡中心有一个加速过程,在气泡顶部附近又迅速减小.      

环形喷管喷口气泡演化的实验研究

水下气泡的发展演化及气泡动力学行为是气液两相动力学的基础理论与水下射流应用的重要基础. 环形喷管/喷口形成的气泡及气体射流具有其不同于圆孔实心射流的特殊表现与规律机制,随着同心筒破水发射等特殊应用的出现,环形喷口气体射流/泡流的基础现象观测和机制分析成为迫切的需求. 基于环形喷管的设计和水下射流条件的分析,设计建立了一套环形喷管水箱实验系统,对水下环形喷管喷口气泡发展演化过程进行了初步的实验研究. 为观测研究气体通过环形喷管气泡生长发展过程,在较低压力、较低流速下,采用高速摄影仪记录气泡生长及发展演化过程. 结合对气泡发展演化过程的图像处理与分析,研究分析了环形喷口气泡形成区制、气泡生长过程形态发展特点、以及气泡形成时间及气泡体积变化特点. 研究表明:在本实验气体流量范围内(50.8~237.3 dm3/min),环形喷口气泡发展演化过程呈现较为明显的三周期区制,前泡尾流影响是环形气泡呈三周期区制的主要原因;不同周期内的气泡形成时间具有较稳定规律,并受到流量影响;气泡生长过程中有较为明显的下沉、回升特征;气泡表面张力、液体惯性与流动的共同作用,造成了典型的气泡顶部坍塌现象.      

Multivelocity effects in high-pressure-gradient flows of dilute bubbly media

The multivelocity effects associated with the behavior of gas or vapor bubbles in a region with high pressure gradients typical of the flows around a cavity in which the pressure is higher than that in the surrounding space are considered. For a low volume bubble concentration, the problem of fluid flow perturbation by the bubbles is examined. For gas bubbles, it is shown that taking multivelocity effects into account considerably reduces the additional jet momentum. It is found that, with time, the temperature distribution in the wake behind a vapor bubble becomes nonmonotonic and the maximum temperature may even exceed the initial bubble temperature. It is demonstrated that the bubbles may accumulate and a flow regime with a sharply pronounced two-phase jet extending to the outer edge of the main liquid jet may develop. Moscow. Translated from Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 1, pp. 87–100, January–February, 1998. The work received financial support from the Russian Foundation for Fundamental Research (project No.96-01-01442).     

Dynamics of microbubble oscillators with delay coupling

Two vibrating bubbles submerged in a fluid influence each others’ dynamics via sound waves in the fluid. Due to finite sound speed, there is a delay between one bubble’s oscillation and the other’s. This scenario is treated in the context of coupled nonlinear oscillators with a delay coupling term. It has previously been shown that with sufficient time delay, a supercritical Hopf bifurcation may occur for motions in which the two bubbles are in phase. In this work, we further examine the bifurcation structure of the coupled microbubble equations, including analyzing the sequence of Hopf bifurcations that occur as the time delay increases, as well as the stability of this motion for initial conditions which lie off the in-phase manifold. We show that in fact the synchronized, oscillating state resulting from a supercritical Hopf is attracting for such general initial conditions.     

Countercurrent gas/liquid flow and mixing: Implications for water disinfection

Experimental and numerical results are presented from investigations into the hydrodynamics of a bench scale bubble column reactor. Countercurrent bubble column reactors are most commonly used in water disinfection for effecting mass transfer of ozone to the aqueous phase. In the reactor column used in this study, gas is introduced at the bottom of the column via a spherical diffuser and water is introduced to the top of the column through a manifold packed with glass spheres. Residence time distribution (RTD) studies were conducted for a range of gas flow rates chosen to span the dispersed flow bubble regime. A multiphase computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was used to simulate the flow in the bubble column and to gain insights into the fluid dynamics of countercurrent flow bubble columns. The CFD model accurately predicted trends in mixing. Use of CFD in bubble column design and scale-up thus may yield better designs than those based on empirical relations.     

Eulerian–Lagrangian 3-D simulations of unsteady two-phase gas–liquid flow in a rectangular column by considering bubble interactions

This work discusses the development of a three-dimensional Eulerian–Lagrangian CFD model for a gas–liquid flow in a rectangular column. The model resolves the time-dependent, three-dimensional motion of small gas bubbles in a liquid to simulate the dynamic characteristics of the oscillating bubble plume. Our model incorporates drag, gravity, buoyancy, lift, pressure gradient and virtual mass forces acting on a bubble rising in a liquid, and accounts for two-way momentum coupling between the phases. We use MUSIG model that provides a framework in which the population balance method together with the break up and coalescence models can be incorporated into three-dimensional CFD calculations. We use turbulent flow to describe liquid flow field. The standard κ–ε of turbulence is selected for calculating the properties of turbulent flow. The effect of aspect ratio of the column on the flow pattern, liquid velocity and gas hold-up profiles is discussed.     

Bubble behaviors of geldart B particle in a pseudo two-dimensional pressurized fluidized bed

Pressurized fluidized beds have been developed in quite a few industrial applications because of intensified heat and mass transfer and chemical reaction. The bubble behaviors under elevated pressure, strongly influencing the fluidization and reaction conversion of the whole system, are of great research significance. In this work, the bubble behaviors of Geldart B particle in a pseudo two-dimensional (2D) pressurized fluidized bed were experimentally studied based on digital image analysis technique. The effects of pressure and fluidization gas velocity on the general bubble behaviors (i.e., size, shape and spatial distribution) and the dynamic characteristics, such as the time-evolution of voidage distribution and local flow regimes, were comprehensively investigated. Results show that increasing pressure reduces the stability of bubbles and facilitates gas passing through the emulsion phase, resulting in the “smoother” fluidization state with smaller bubbles and declined bubble fraction and standard deviation. The equivalent bubble diameter and bubble aspect ratio increase with the increasing gas velocity while decrease as pressure rises. The elevated pressure reduces bubbles extension in the vertical direction, prohibits the “short pass” of fluidization gas in large oblong bubbles/slugs and benefits the gas–solid interaction. The flow regimes variation with gas velocity is affected by the elevated pressure, and demonstrates different features in different local positions of the bed.     

台阶式并行微通道内气泡群自组装行为及其对气泡生成的反馈效应

台阶式微通道乳化装置因易于高通量生产均一性的气泡及液滴而受到关注.本文利用高速摄像仪研究了台阶式并行微通道装置空腔内的气泡群复杂行为及其对气泡生成的反馈效应.实验设计的操作变量为气液相进出口位置、气相流速和液相流速. 在实验操作范围内,共发现了气泡的单管生成模式和多管生成模式.研究了空腔内气泡群复杂行为随操作条件的变化趋势. 发现在受限空间内,气泡在水平面内发生挤压堵塞能够自组装成具有特定几何特点的二维晶格,分别为有序的行三角晶格、有序的竖三角晶格和无序的三角晶格.晶格结构与气相压力密切相关; 同时, 气泡界面能量随着气相压力的增大而增大.运用介尺度、能量和活化等概念分析了气泡群复杂行为对气泡生成方式的影响,充分阐释了受限空间内气泡群的介尺度效应.以变异系数CV来表示气泡的均匀性特征, 考察了气泡晶格自组装行为的控制因素.结果表明: 气泡的自组装路径由气泡尺寸及其分布决定,有序的三角晶格变异系数小于5%, 无序的三角晶格变异系数大于5%.      

Low Reynolds number aerodynamics of free-to-roll low aspect ratio wings

The aerodynamics of thin, flat-plate wings of various planforms (rectangular, elliptical and Zimmerman) have been studied in free-to-roll experiments in a wind tunnel. Non-zero trim angles at low angles of attack, self-induced roll oscillations with increasing angle of attack and even autorotation in some cases were observed. The rectangular wings with round leading-edge had non-zero trim angles at low incidences due to the asymmetric development of the three-dimensional separation bubble at these low Reynolds numbers. With increasing angle of attack, the bubble increases in length and once reattachment is lost, large amplitude roll oscillations develop. The Strouhal number of the roll oscillations is of the order of 10⁻², which is in the same range as those expected for small aircraft experiencing atmospheric gusts. Velocity measurements revealed that variations in the strength of the vortices drove the rolling motion. At the mean roll angle, because of the time lag in the strength of the vortices, an asymmetric flow is generated, which results in a net rolling moment in the direction of the rolling motion.     

海洋大气间气泡的气体输运

研究球形小气泡在理想流体的波浪场中的气体扩散过程,把小雷诺数下均匀来流绕流球形气泡的气体交换结果与气泡运动方程耦合在一起进行求解．讨论了溶解于水中的气体浓度、波浪、气泡半径、气泡初始深度对单个气泡气体扩散量的影响．由于气泡云对气体的输运,溶解于水中的气体可出现过饱和状态．对１０ｍ／ｓ风速下气泡云的气体输运量进行了计算,得到水中Ｏ２的过饱和度可达１．８９％～３９２％,与实际观测值一致．     

Opposed bubbly jets at different impact angles: Jet structure and bubble properties

The structure of two colliding water jets containing small gas bubbles is studied experimentally. The effects of the separation distance between jets, as well as the orientation angle, on the spatial distribution of bubbles have been considered. Results on the global structure of the final jet and bubble properties have been obtained using a high-speed video camera, and measurements of the positions of coalescence events are presented. Jets are introduced through inclined pipes (with a diameter of 0.7 mm) into a large water tank to avoid wall effects. Inclination angle has been changed from 0° to 45° with respect to the horizontal, resulting in a 0° up to 90° impact angle between jets. Generation of bubbles is controlled by a T-junction device where a regular slug-flow is created prior to injection. Bubble sizes have been measured, and a mean diameter of around 1 mm has been obtained using high values of the liquid flow rate. In the studied range of separation distances between the bubbly jets, a more homogeneous dispersion of bubbles is created as the distance between jets is decreased and the momentum flux of each jet is increased. Higher numbers of coalescences are observed when using smaller distance between jets, and the obtained measurements revealed that the number of bubble coalescence events is reduced significantly using high values of liquid flow rates.     

The minimum in-line coalescence height of bubbles in non-Newtonian fluid

The minimum in-line coalescence height of bubbles generated from a submerged nozzle was investigated experimentally in shear thinning non-Newtonian fluid at lower Reynolds number (2∼60). Carboxymethyl cellulose sodium (CMC) aqueous solution and carbon dioxide were used as the liquid phase and the gas phase, respectively. The process of the formation, movement and in-line coalescence of bubbles was visualized and recorded by a high-speed digital camera. The influences of bubble size, bubble generation frequency and liquid property on the minimum in-line coalescence height of bubbles were investigated by changing nozzle diameter, gas flow rate and the mass concentration of CMC aqueous solutions. For a given liquid, the generating frequency and size of bubbles increased but the minimum coalescence height of in-line bubbles decreased when the nozzle diameter and gas flow rate were increased. When the nozzle diameter and gas flow rate were fixed, the shear-thinning effect of CMC aqueous solution became stronger with increasing CMC mass concentration, which led to the increase in both the terminal rise velocity and average acceleration of the trailing bubble, consequently, the minimum in-line coalescence height of bubbles decreased. An empirical correlation for estimating the minimum in-line bubble coalescence height was proposed, the calculating values accords well with experimental data with a mean relative deviation only 7.6%.     

三维气泡与自由表面相互作用的直接数值模拟

采用VOF中的PLIC界面重构方法数值模拟了三维气泡在液流中上升并与自由表面相互作用的运动.分别考察了不同初始高度,有无来流及有无再生气泡对气泡上升高度、上升速度、压力及与自由表面相互作用等的影响.结果表明:气泡初始位置越低,顶端上升的高度越大,自由面隆起的范围更广.越靠近自由表面,底部射流横向发展越窄,而向上的压力梯度,气泡上升速度,底部射流上升高度越大,反之则反;但如果底部射流均在接近自由表面以前已横向发展充分,则差别不大.气泡外形、上升高度、破裂时间以及上升速度与来流无关.产生再生气泡后,原生气泡与再生气泡相吸,相互加速对方的上升;自由表面抬升的高度增幅较大,范围拓宽,上升速度也大大增加,且再生气泡越多,自由表面隆起的范围越大.