3-D numerical investigation on oxygen transfer in a horizontal Venturi flow with two holes

Abstract

In order to investigate the dissolved oxygen increase caused by air suction in a horizontal Venturi flow with two holes, a 3-D computational fluid dynamics model was used to explore the water and bubble mixture flow, coupled with a dissolved oxygen transfer model. A series of experiments were conducted to validate the mathematical model. A relative saturation coefficient correlation was examined factoring in dissolved oxygen concentration at the inlet, water velocity at the inlet, the hole's diameter, contraction ratio at throat section, and the downstream length of Venturi pipe. It was found that the relative saturation coefficient increases with increasing dissolved oxygen concentration at the inlet and downstream length of Venturi pipe respectively. However, it increases with decreasing water velocity at the inlet and contraction ratio at the throat section to some extent. The hole's diameter plays a complex role in the relative saturation coefficient. The dimensional analysis method and the least square method were used to deduce a simple formula for the relative saturation coefficient, and this was consistent with related data.