Experimental Study on Gas–Liquid Two-Phase Flow Upstream and Downstream of U-Bends
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Experimental Setup
2.1. Experimental Equipment
2.2. Test Section for Pressure Drop Measurements and Visualization
2.3. Experimental Conditions
3. Results and Discussion
3.1. Frictional Pressure Gradient in Straight Pipe Sections of U-Tubes
3.1.1. Frictional Pressure Gradient in the Distant Straight Tube Section
3.1.2. Comparison of Pressure Gradients in Straight Pipe Sections Close and Distant to the U-Bends
3.2. Link between Flow Pattern and Disturbance Degree
3.3. Axial Propagation Characteristics of Pressure Pulsation
4. Conclusions
- (1)
- The disturbance from the U-bend in the two-phase flow in the vicinity of the bend was very obvious. The ratios of pressure gradients in straight pipe sections close and distal to the U-bends ranged from approximately 1.5 to 6 under the experimental conditions.
- (2)
- The disturbance degree of U-bends in the flow in their adjacent straight tubes was highly related to the incoming two-phase flow pattern. The slug flow had the most significant influence, while the effect of plug and annular flows was smaller in comparison. Fundamentally, it depends on the weighting relationship among the gravity, centrifugal force, and inertial force of the gas–liquid two-phase fluid in the elbow.
- (3)
- The pressure fluctuation propagates in the form of a wave in the upstream and downstream straight tubes of the U-bend, and the dominant frequency of the pulsation remains stable during the propagation process. With an increase in the axial distance along the flow direction, the pressure pulsation energy for the straight tube upstream of the U-bend increases gradually, while that of the downstream section attenuates. Additionally, the pressure fluctuation energy downstream of the U-bend was larger than that upstream of the return bend.
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Inlet Interval Segments | Location of Center/D | Outlet Interval Segments | Location of Center/D |
---|---|---|---|
P8P7 | −105 | P1′P2′ | +7.5 |
P7P6 | −70 | P2′P3′ | +15 |
P6P5 | −52.5 | P3′P4′ | +25 |
P5P4 | −37.5 | P4′P5′ | +37.5 |
P4P3 | −25 | P5′P6′ | +52.5 |
P3P2 | −15 | P6′P7′ | +70 |
P2P1 | −7.5 | P7′P8′ | +105 |
Author | Correlation | |
---|---|---|
HFM-based correlations | McAdams et al. [44] | |
Awad and Muzychka [45] | ||
SFM-based correlations | Chisholm [46] | |
Friedel [47] | ||
Muller-Steinhagen and Heck [48] | ||
Xu and Fang [49] | where Y is defined according to Chisholm [46], La is defined according to Zhang [50]. |
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Ma, X.; Gu, Z.; Ni, D.; Li, C.; Zhang, W.; Zhang, F.; Tian, M. Experimental Study on Gas–Liquid Two-Phase Flow Upstream and Downstream of U-Bends. Processes 2024, 12, 277. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12020277
Ma X, Gu Z, Ni D, Li C, Zhang W, Zhang F, Tian M. Experimental Study on Gas–Liquid Two-Phase Flow Upstream and Downstream of U-Bends. Processes. 2024; 12(2):277. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12020277
Chicago/Turabian StyleMa, Xiaoxu, Zongyao Gu, Delong Ni, Chuang Li, Wei Zhang, Fengshan Zhang, and Maocheng Tian. 2024. "Experimental Study on Gas–Liquid Two-Phase Flow Upstream and Downstream of U-Bends" Processes 12, no. 2: 277. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12020277