Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling of the Pressure Drop of an Iso-Thermal and Turbulent Upward Bubbly Flow Through a Vertical Pipeline Using Population Balance Modeling Approach

Abstract

A Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model of two phase flow is presented to simulate isothermal, turbulent, upward bubbly flows in a pipeline till forecast a mean pressure reduction along the pipe (a 3 dimensional (3D) multiphase flow, by Eulerian-Eulerian strategy combined with Population Balance Modeling (PBM)). A set of experimental data from the literature for water (liquid) and air (gas) in an isothermal pipe is used where the internal diameter of which is 200 mm, employed in order to analyze radial void fraction and bubble diameter distributions as well as the axial pressure distribution of fluid flow. The CFD model is applied to grids of minimum control volumes. The interfacial forces, including non-drag and drag forces, where the former can be categorized into turbulent scattering, lift, and wall lubrication, have been noticed in following simulations. The comparison between CFD forecasts with empirical data demonstrates that the coring phenomena plus observed wall peaking could be predicted with this CFD-PBM modeling approach. The primary intention of this work was to anticipate the axial pressure distribution of bubbly flow in the pipe by CFD modeling in a large vertical pipe. Acceptable agreement between predicted models and experimental data indicates that CFD can be a beneficial method for investigating pressure drop of an upward and multi-phase flow.

CFD study of two-phase cross flow and heat transfer in sub-channels of pressurized water reactor fuel assemblies

“…Wooram Lee and Jae-Young Lee used Eulerian two-fluid method for CFD simulation of air and water to propose an ideal model based on vortex detachment to estimate the effect of the wake-induced on lateral migration of bubbles [14]. Marzieh Lotfi et al used Eulerian strategy combined with population balance model (PBM) for vertical pipeline air and water to predict the average pressure drop in the pipeline, and the agreement of the results with experimental data suggests that CFD becomes a useful approach to study pressure drop in multiphase flows [15]. Hongqiang Ma et al used the Euler-Lagrange method to simulate the heat transfer between air and water outside the staggered tube bundle to investigate the effect of heat transfer characteristics with respect to the mass flow rate and temperature of the sprayed water [16].…”