The phase distribution of upward co-current bubbly flows in a vertical square channels

Abstract

In this work one shows experimental data and numerical results of the void fraction distribution in vertical upward air-water bubbly flows in a square cross-section channel. To measure the void fraction distribution one used a single wire conductive probe. The averaged void fraction ranged from 3.3% to 15%; the liquid and the gas superficial velocities varied from 0.9 m/s to 3.0 m/s and 0.04 m/s to 0.5 m/s, respectively. The experimental results for the void fraction distribution were compared with numerical calculation performed by an Eulerian-Eulerian implementation of the Two-Fluid Model. In this work one performs the turbulence modeling with three approaches: using an algebraic model, the k-ε two-phase model and the k-ε two-phase two-layer model. Comparisons between the experimental and numerical data revealed, in general, good agreement.