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Title: Development of Interfacial Structure in a Confined Air-Water Cap-Turbulent and Churn-Turbulent Flow

Conference ·
OSTI ID:835540

The objective of the present work is to study and model the interfacial structure development of air-water two-phase flow in a confined test section. Experiments of a total of 9 flow conditions in a cap-turbulent and churn-turbulent flow regimes are carried out in a vertical air-water upward two-phase flow experimental loop with a test section of 20-cm in width and 1-cm in gap. The miniaturized four-sensor conductivity probes are used to measure local two-phase parameters at three different elevations for each flow condition. The bubbles captured by the probes are categorized into two groups in view of the two-group interfacial area transport equation, i.e., spherical/distorted bubbles as Group 1 and cap/churn-turbulent bubbles as Group 2. The acquired parameters are time-averaged local void fraction, interfacial velocity, bubble number frequency, interfacial area concentration, and bubble Sauter mean diameter for both groups of bubbles. Also, the line-averaged and area-averaged data are presented and discussed. The comparisons of these parameters at different elevations demonstrate the development of interfacial structure along the flow direction due to bubble interactions.

Research Organization:
Bettis Atomic Power Lab., West Mifflin, PA (US)
Sponsoring Organization:
US Department of Energy (US)
DOE Contract Number:
AC11-98PN38206
OSTI ID:
835540
Report Number(s):
B-T-3405; TRN: US0500434
Resource Relation:
Conference: International Conference on Nuclear Engineering, ICONE10, Arlington, VA (US), 04/14/2002; Other Information: PBD: 31 Oct 2001
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English