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Phenomenological model for dispersed bubbly flow in pipes
Author(s) -
Nikitop Dimitris E.,
Michaelides Efstathios E.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
aiche journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.958
H-Index - 167
eISSN - 1547-5905
pISSN - 0001-1541
DOI - 10.1002/aic.690410103
Subject(s) - turbulence , mechanics , bubble , reynolds stress , two phase flow , reynolds number , thermodynamics , phenomenological model , flow (mathematics) , physics , statistical physics , mathematics , statistics
An analytical approach to the problem of steady‐state, axisymmetrically disperesed, bubbly flow in pipes based on a zero equation turbulence model is discussed. The formulation incorporates recent experimental observations and introduces the effect of bubble size in a rudimentary way. The two‐phase mixture is modeled as a variabledensity single fluid assuming an empirical void distribution family. The turbulent shear stress is formed from the contributions of both the velocity and density variation, and the solution of the resulting Reynolds‐type equation yields the velocity profile of the flow. Predicted void fraction and velocity distributions agree well with experimental measurements. The main objective of the model is to predict the friction multiplier with minimal computational effort. The velocity profiles of this model agree reasonably well with experiments. Predictions for the friction multiplier are compared to six known and widely used correlations, as well as to experimental data. All the correlations severely underpredict the friction multiplier in the disperesed bubbly flow regime, while the results of our model agree well with the measurements, within the range of its validity.