Three-dimensional numerical modeling of turbulent single-phase and two-phase flow in curved pipes

Book · Tue Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1996

OSTI ID:428080

Xin, R C; Dong, Z F; Ebadian, M A ^[1]

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1. Florida International Univ., Miami, FL (United States). Hemispheric Center for Environmental Technology

In this study, three-dimensional single-phase and two-phase flows in curved pipes have been investigated numerically. Two different pipe configurations were computed. When the results of the single-phase flow simulation were compared with the experimental data, a fairly good agreement was achieved. A flow-developing process has been suggested in single-phase flow, in which the turbulence is stronger near the outer tube wall than near the inner tube wall. For two-phase flow, the Eulerian multiphase model was used to simulate the phase distribution of a three-dimensional gas-liquid bubble flow in curved pipe. The RNG/{kappa}-{epsilon} turbulence model was used to determine the turbulence field. An inlet gas void fraction of 5 percent was simulated. The gas phase effects on the liquid phase flow velocity have been examined by comparing the results of single-phase flow and two-phase flow. The findings show that for the downward flow in the U bend, the gas concentrates at the inner portion of the cross section at {phi} = {pi}/18 {minus} {pi}/6 in most cases. The results of the phase distribution simulation are compared to experimental observations qualitatively and topologically.

• Sponsoring Organization: National Science Foundation, Washington, DC (United States)
• OSTI ID: 428080
• Report Number(s): CONF-960815--; ISBN 0-7918-1508-0
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
FLOW MODELS
FLUID FLOW
HEAT TRANSFER
NUMERICAL ANALYSIS
PIPES
THEORETICAL DATA
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
TURBULENT FLOW
TWO-PHASE FLOW