Measurement of void fraction in bubbly-slug flow with a constant electric current method

Abstract

In several void fraction measurement methods, a constant electric current method which is one of conductance methods is focused in the present study. By using this method, void fraction can be measured with higher temporal resolution. However, it has been mainly applied to annular flow in previous studies. In the present study, Maxwell's estimation, Bruggemann's estimation, low void fraction approximation and new estimations which consider the bubble shape are applied in order to measure more accurately void fraction of dispersed bubbly flow and slug flow. To understand the effect of bubble shapes and flow patterns, void fraction was measured by the constant electric current method for a rising single spherical bubble and a rising single slug bubble without a forced convection. In addition, void fraction was also measured in bubbly flow and bubbly-slug flow with a forced convection. Then, effects of flow patterns on the proposed estimations of void fraction and the accuracy of their estimations were discussed with the measurement results. From the result, the new estimations which consider a bubble shape are more accurate than the previous estimation in a slug bubble and bubbly-slug flow.