Effect of Hysteresis Behavior on Two-phase Vertical Downward Flow Through Tubes

W. Jaewoo Shin

Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, Vol.3, No.3, 210-217, September, 1997

Department of Chemical Engineering, Dankook University, Seoul 140-714, Korea

This study reports an experimental investigation of hysteresis behavior in two-phase, air-water, downward flow through a vertical test section that included two turbine flow meters. Void fractions were measured at the inlet and outlet of the test section by two gamma densitometers. The turbine flow meter response was correlated for a calibration model to measure the flow rates of each phase in a two-phase downward flow mixture. The correlation was found to depend only on the actual volumetric flow rate of the gas and liquid at the location of each flow meter. For liquid flow rates less than 13.6 actual cubic meter per hour (acmh) the correlation or the calibration model becomes more non-linear and the void fraction exhibits hysteresis which is more pronounced at the lower liquid flow rates. For a constant liquid flow rate less than 13.6 acmh, the void fraction measured for increasing gas flow lies below the values measured for decreasing gas flow. These differences can be very large, yet the turbine flow meter responses are practically unaffected by these changes.

[References]

Barnea D, Shaham O, Taitel Y, Int. J. Multiph. Flow, 6, 387 (1980)
Frank R, Mazars J, Ricque R, "Determination of Mass Flow Rate and Quality Using a Turbine Flow Meter anda Venturi," Heat and Fluid Flow in Water Reactor Safety, The institution of Mech, Engrs. London, 63-68 (1977)
Hetsroni G, "Handbook of Multiphase Systems," Hemisphere Publishing Corp. (1982)
Lahey RT, Drew DA, "The Current State-of-Art in Modelling of Vapor/liquid Two-phase Flows," Presented at the Winter Annual Meeting, Dallas, Texas-Nov., 25-30 (1990)
Reiman J, John H, Muller U, Int. J. Multiph. Flow, 8, 33 (1982)
Rouhani SZ, "Application of the Turbine Type Flow Meters in the Measurement of Steam Quality and Void," Symposium on in-Core Instrumentation, Oslo, June 1964, USAEC-CONF-640607 (1964)
Shim WJ, "Measurements of Two-Phase Air-water, Flow in Tube and Annulus," Ph.D. Thesis, Columbia University, New York, NY, U.S.A. (1993)
Shim WJ, "On Development of a Two-Phase Flow Meter for Vertical Upflow in Tubes," KICHE, Seoul, Korea (Submitted for Publication: May 1997) (1997)
Taitel Y, Barnea D, Dukler AE, AIChE J., 26, 345 (1980)

[Referenced By]

[1] Barnea D, Shaham O, Taitel Y, Int. J. Multiph. Flow, 6, 387 (1980)

[2] Frank R, Mazars J, Ricque R, "Determination of Mass Flow Rate and Quality Using a Turbine Flow Meter anda Venturi," Heat and Fluid Flow in Water Reactor Safety, The institution of Mech, Engrs. London, 63-68 (1977)

[3] Hetsroni G, "Handbook of Multiphase Systems," Hemisphere Publishing Corp. (1982)

[4] Lahey RT, Drew DA, "The Current State-of-Art in Modelling of Vapor/liquid Two-phase Flows," Presented at the Winter Annual Meeting, Dallas, Texas-Nov., 25-30 (1990)

[5] Reiman J, John H, Muller U, Int. J. Multiph. Flow, 8, 33 (1982)

[6] Rouhani SZ, "Application of the Turbine Type Flow Meters in the Measurement of Steam Quality and Void," Symposium on in-Core Instrumentation, Oslo, June 1964, USAEC-CONF-640607 (1964)

[7] Shim WJ, "Measurements of Two-Phase Air-water, Flow in Tube and Annulus," Ph.D. Thesis, Columbia University, New York, NY, U.S.A. (1993)

[8] Shim WJ, "On Development of a Two-Phase Flow Meter for Vertical Upflow in Tubes," KICHE, Seoul, Korea (Submitted for Publication: May 1997) (1997)

[9] Taitel Y, Barnea D, Dukler AE, AIChE J., 26, 345 (1980)