Pumping of a fluid through a microchannel by means of a bubble driven by a light beam

A new method of pumping a fluid through a microchannel device using a gas bubble-piston, set in motion by the thermocapillary force induced by a light beam, is proposed. To demonstrate the method, a model micropump has been assembled. The model consists of two reservoirs connected by two channels with a bubble-piston driven by a light beam. The pumping rate and the volume per piston stroke are evaluated experimentally. The method proposed is compared with known microfluid pumping methods. Some advantages of the new method are indicated.     

Hydrodynamics of two-phase flow in vertical up and down-flow across a horizontal tube bundle

Flow patterns, void fraction and friction pressure drop measurements were made for an adiabatic, vertical up-and-down, two-phase flow of air–water mixtures across a horizontal in-line, 5×20 tube bundle with a pitch-to-diameter ratio of 1.28. The flow patterns in the cross-flow zones were obtained and flow pattern maps were constructed. The data of average void fraction were less than the values predicted by a homogenous flow model and showed a strong mass velocity effect, but were well-correlated in terms of the Martinelli parameter X_tt and liquid-only Froude number Fr_LO. The two-phase friction multiplier data could be well-correlated with the Martinelli parameter.     

An experimental investigation of outflow of liquids from single-outlet vessels

This paper considers the outflow of a liquid from a single outlet vessel, i.e. a vessel in which the outflowing liquid is displaced by another fluid which enters the vessel through the same opening. The simplest possible arrangement is investigated: a sealed axisymmetric cylindrical vessel with an outlet in its base, in which water is displaced by air.

It is shown experimentally that the average liquid discharge velocity is independent of the liquid level in the vessel and the shape of the outlet for the range of outlets employed; it increases weakly with both the diameter of the vessel and the diameter of the outlet.     

Experiments on the hydrodynamics of air-water countercurrent flow through vertical short multitube geometries

A series of experiments were performed to improve understanding of the hydrodynamic mechanisms relevant to the flooding phenomenon in gas-liquid countercurrent flow through vertical short multitube geometries. In addition to the conventional measurements of global hydrodynamic parameters such as phasic flow rates and two-phase pressure drops, the local time-varying thicknesses of the liquid films trickling down the individual tubes were measured by means of conductance probes mounted flush at different locations of the inner wall surfaces. A PC-based data acquisition and analysis system was developed to collect these highly fluctuating data and to make detailed statistical analyses. The experimental results and visual observations revealed two dominant hydrodynamic instability mechanisms that have not been well taken into account by the existing semiempirical models.     

An analytic solution of dense two-phase flow in a vertical pipeline

According to a mathematical model for dense two-phase flows presented in theprevious paper,a dense two-phase flow in a vertical pipeline is analytically solved,and theanalytic expressions of velocity of each continuous phase and dispersed phase arerespectively derived The results show that when the drag force between two phases dependslinearly on their relative velocity,the relative velocity profile in the pipeline coincides withDarcy’s law except for the thin layer region near the pipeline wall,and that the theoreticalassumptions in the dense two-phase flow theory mentioned are reasonable.     

A semi-empirical model of two-phase flow of refrigerant-134a through short tube orifices

Measurements were conducted on Refrigerant-134a flowing through short tube orifices with length-to-diameter (L/D) ratios ranging from 5 to 20. Both two-phase and subcooled liquid flow conditions entering the short tube were examined for upstream pressures ranging from 896 to 1448 kPa and for qualities as high as 10% and subcoolings as high as 13.9°C. Data were analyzed as a function of the main operating variables and tube geometry. Semi-empirical models for both single- and two-phase flow at the inlet of the short tubes were developed to predict the mass flow of Refrigerant-134a through short tube orifices.

Choked flow conditions for Refrigerant-134a were typically established when downstream pressures were reduced below the saturation pressure corresponding to the inlet temperature. The flow rate strongly depended on the upstream pressure and upstream subcooling/quality. The mass flow also depended on cross-sectional area and short tube length. The mass flow model utilized a modified orifice equation that formulated the mass flow as a function of normalized operating variables and short tube geometry. For a two-phase flow entering the short tube, the modified orifice equation was corrected using a theoretically derived expression that related the liquid portion of the mass flow under two-phase conditions to a flow that would occur if the flow were a single-phase liquid. It was found that for sharp-edged short tubes with single- and two-phase flow, approximately 95% of the measured data and model's prediction were within ±15% of each other.     

Gas-particle two-phase turbulent flow in a vertical duct

Two-phase gas-phase turbulent flows at various loadings between the two vertical parallel plates are analyzed. A thermodynamically consistent turbulent two-phase flow model that accounts for the phase fluctuation energy transport and interaction is used. The governing equation of the gas-phase is upgraded to a two-equation low Reynolds number turbulence closure model that can be integrated directly to the wall. A no-slip boundary condition for the gas-phase and slip-boundary condition for the particulate phase are used. The computational model is first applied to dilute gas-particle turbulent flow between two parallel vertical walls. The predicted mean velocity and turbulence intensity profiles are compared with the experimental data of Tsuji et al. (1984) for vertical pipe flows, and good agreement is observed. Examples of additional flow properties such as the phasic fluctuation energy, phasic fluctuation energy production and dissipation, as well as interaction momentum and energy supply terms are also presented and discussed.

Applications to the relatively dense gas-particle turbulent flows in a vertical channel are also studied. The model predictions are compared with the experimental data of Miller & Gidaspow and reasonable agreement is observed. It is shown that flow behavior is strongly affected by the phasic fluctuation energy, and the momentum and energy transfer between the particulate and the fluid constituents.     

Peristaltic flow of a Johnson-Segalman fluid through a deformable tube

To understand theoretically the flow properties of physiological fluids we have considered as a model the peristaltic motion of a Johnson–Segalman fluid in a tube with a sinusoidal wave traveling down its wall. The perturbation solution for the stream function is obtained for large wavelength and small Weissenberg number. The expressions for the axial velocity, pressure gradient, and pressure rise per wavelength are also constructed. The general solution of the governing nonlinear partial differential equation is given using a transformation method. The numerical solution is also obtained and is compared with the perturbation solution. Numerical results are demonstrated for various values of the physical parameters of interest.      

Fluid flow of incompressible viscous fluid through a non-linear elastic tube

The study of viscous flow in tubes with deformable walls is of specific interest in industry and biomedical technology and in understanding various phenomena in medicine and biology (atherosclerosis, artery replacement by a graft, etc) as well. The present work describes numerically the behavior of a viscous incompressible fluid through a tube with a non-linear elastic membrane insertion. The membrane insertion in the solid tube is composed by non-linear elastic material, following Fung’s (Biomechanics: mechanical properties of living tissue, 2nd edn. Springer, New York, 1993) type strain–energy density function. The fluid is described through a Navier–Stokes code coupled with a system of non linear equations, governing the interaction with the membrane deformation. The objective of this work is the study of the deformation of a non-linear elastic membrane insertion interacting with the fluid flow. The case of the linear elastic material of the membrane is also considered. These two cases are compared and the results are evaluated. The advantages of considering membrane nonlinear elastic material are well established. Finally, the case of an axisymmetric elastic tube with variable stiffness along the tube and membrane sections is studied, trying to substitute the solid tube with a membrane of high stiffness, exhibiting more realistic response.     

Oscillatory flow of second grade fluid in cylindrical tube

The unsteady oscillatory flow of an incompressible second grade fluid in a cylindrical tube with large wall suction is studied analytically. Flow in the tube is due to uniform suction at the permeable walls, and the oscillations in the velocity field are due to small amplitude time harmonic pressure waves. The physical quantities of interest are the velocity field, the amplitude of oscillation, and the penetration depth of the oscillatory wave. The analytical solution of the governing boundary value problem is obtained, and the effects of second grade fluid parameters are analyzed and discussed.     

Oberbeck convection flow of a couple stress fluid through a vertical porous stratum

The flow and heat transfer characteristics of Oberbeck convection of a couple stress fluid in a vertical porous stratum is investigated. The perturbation method of solution is obtained in terms of buoyancy parameter N valid for small values of N. This limitation is relaxed through numerical solutions using the finite difference technique with an error of 0.1×10^-7. The effect of increase in the values of temperature difference between the plates, permeability parameter and couple stress parameter on velocity, temperature, mass flow rate, skin friction and rate of heat transfer are reported. A new achievement is explored to analyse the flow for strong, weak and comparable porosity with the couple stress parameter. It is noted that both the porous parameter and the couple stress parameter suppress the flow. Higher-temperature difference is required to achieve the mass flow rate equivalent to that of viscous flow.     

A separated flow model for predicting two-phase pressure drop and evaporative heat transfer for vertical annular flow

A separated flow model has been developed that is applicable to vertical annular two-phase flow in the purely convective heat transfer regime. Conservation of mass, momentum, and energy are used to solve for the liquid film thickness, pressure drop, and heat transfer coefficient. Closure relationships are specified for the interfacial friction factor, liquid film eddy-viscosity, turbulent Prandtl number, and entrainment rate. Although separated flow models have been reported previously, their use has been limited, because they were tested over a limited range of flow and thermal conditions. The unique feature of this model is that it has been tested and calibrated against a vast array of two-phase pressure drop and heat transfer data, which include upflow, downflow, and microgravity flow conditions. The agreements between the measured and predicted pressure drops and heat transfer coefficients are, on average, better or comparable to the most reliable empirical correlations. This separated flow model is demonstrated to be a reliable and practical predictive tool for computing two-phase pressure drop and heat transfer rates. All of the datasets have been obtained from the open literature.     

Rheological behaviour of two-phase flow of solid particles in a gas

The present investigation was concerned with the rheological behaviour of dilute suspensions of solid particles in a gas in a vertical cocurrent flow moving upwards. Starting from the experimentally determined dependence of the pressure drop on the concentration of solid particles and the Reynolds number of the carrier medium in the steady flow region, the rheological parameters were estimated using pseudo-shear diagrams. Air was the carrier medium and the dispersed phase was one of six fractions of polypropylene powder and five fractions of glass ballotini. The results show that the investigated two-phase systems have pseudoplastic character which becomes more pronounced with increases in concentration, equivalent diameter and density of solid particles in the flowing suspension. C _d coefficient of particle resistance - d _e equivalent diameter of particles - D column diameter - Fr Froude number - g gravitational acceleration - K rheological parameter - L length - n rheological parameter - p _t pressure drop due to friction - p _m total pressure drop - p _ag pressure drop due to acceleration of the gas phase - p _as pressure drop due to acceleration of the solid phase - p _g hydrostatic pressure of the gas phase - p _s specific effective weight of the dispersed phase - r radius - Re Reynolds number - Re _p Reynolds number of a particle - Re _G generalized Reynolds number - Re _G1 generalized Reynolds number relating to the end of the laminar flow region - Re _G2 generalized Reynolds number relating to the beginning of the turbulent flow region - w _z axial component of velocity - u _t steady free-fall velocity of a single particle - w average velocity - w _g average velocity of the gas phase - w _s average velocity of the dispersed phase of solid particles - relative mass fraction of solid particles - x _s volume fraction of solid particles - _g coefficient of pressure drop due to friction - µ dynamic viscosity - _g density of the gas phase - _m density of the suspension - _s density of solid particles - _ds density of the dispersed phase - _w shear stress at the wall     

Oscillatory Couette flow of rotating Sisko fluid

The oscillatory Couette flow of a magnetohydrodynamic （MHD） Sisko fluid between two infinite non-conducting parallel plates is explored in a rotating frame. The lower plate is fixed, and the upper plate is oscillating in its own plane. Using MATLAB, a numerical solution to the resulting nonlinear system is presented. The influence of the physical parameters on the velocity components is analyzed. It is found that the effect of rotation on the primary velocity is more significant than that on the secondary velocity. Further, the oscillatory character in the flow is also induced by rotation. The considered flow situation behaves inertialess when the Reynolds number is small.     

曝气速度对曝气池流场影响的数值模拟分析

采用欧拉-欧拉多相流模型,辅以RNG k-ε湍流模型对一简化的推流式曝气池进行了数值模拟,控制方程采用有限体积法离散,并采用PISO(Pressure-Implicit with Splitting of Operators)算法求解.通过模拟得到了不同曝气速度下曝气池特征断面的气相体积分数、气液两相速度的分布规律以及...     

Prediction of the slug-to-churn flow transition in vertical two-phase flow

An assessment is made of the various viewpoints on the slug-to-churn flow transition in vertical upward flow in the light of recent experimental results obtained at Harwell Laboratory. It is found that the flooding model of McQuillan & Whalley and the bubble entrainment model of Barnea & Brauner give satisfactory results at low and high liquid flow rates, respectively. An improved model for flooding, which takes account of the effect of the falling film, has been proposed. It is shown that this new model is in good agreement with experimental results at both low and high liquid flow rates.     

Peristaltic flow of MHD Jeffrey fluid through finite length cylindrical tube

The present investigation studies the peristaltic flow of the Jeffrey fluid through a tube of finite length. The fluid is electrically conducting in the presence of an applied magnetic field. Analysis is carried out under the assumption of long wavelength and low Reynolds number approximations. Expressions of the pressure gradient, volume flow rate, average volume flow rate, and local wall shear stress are obtained. The effects of relaxation time, retardation time, Hartman number on pressure, local wall shear stress, and mechanical efficiency of peristaltic pump are studied. The reflux phenomenon is also investigated. The case of propagation of a non-integral number of waves along the tube walls, which are inherent characteristics of finite length vessels, is also examined.     

Peristaltic flow of MHD Jeffrey fluid through finite length cylindrical tube

The present investigation studies the peristaltic flow of the Jeffrey fluid through a tube of finite length. The fluid is electrically conducting in the presence of an applied magnetic field. Analysis is carried out under the assumption of long wavelength and low Reynolds number approximations. Expressions of the pressure gradient, volume flow rate, average volume flow rate, and local wall shear stress are obtained. The effects of relaxation time, retardation time, Hartman number on pressure, local wall she...     

Influence of gas injection on phase inversion in an oil–water flow through a vertical tube

An experimental study has been made of the influence of gas injection on the phase inversion between oil and water flowing through a vertical tube. Particular attention was paid to the influence on the critical concentration of oil and water where phase inversion occurs and on the pressure drop increase over the tube during phase inversion. By using different types of gas injectors also the influence of the bubble size of the injected gas on the phase inversion was studied. It was found that gas injection does not significantly change the critical concentration, but the influence on the pressure drop is considerable. For mixture velocities larger than 1 m/s, the pressure drop over the tube increases with decreasing bubble size and at inversion can become even larger than the pressure drop during the flow of oil and water without gas injection.     

Nonlinear waves in fluid flow through a viscoelastic tube

A system of nonlinear equations for describing the perturbations of the pressure and radius in fluid flow through a viscoelastic tube is derived. A differential relation between the pressure and the radius of a viscoelastic tube through which fluid flows is obtained. Nonlinear evolutionary equations for describing perturbations of the pressure and radius in fluid flow are derived. It is shown that the Burgers equation, the Korteweg-de Vries equation, and the nonlinear fourth-order evolutionary equation can be used for describing the pressure pulses on various scales. Exact solutions of the equations obtained are discussed. The numerical solutions described by the Burgers equation and the nonlinear fourth-order evolutionary equation are compared.