A Review: Factors Affecting Internal Two-Phase Flow-Induced Vibrations

Abstract

Two-phase flow is commonly encountered in various engineering systems. Momentum fluctuation in two-phase flow can create undesirable and destructive vibrations. These vibrations are known as flow-induced vibrations, which are a fundamental phenomenon in fluid–structure interactions, and have been the center of this type of research in the past few decades. Flow-induced vibrations due to the multiphase flow are a complex phenomenon and its understanding is still immature. Various accidents related to flow-induced vibrations have been reported in heat exchangers and piping systems and it is very important to develop a deeper understanding of flow-induced vibrations in multiphase flow. The present review article aims to discuss the literature related to flow-induced vibrations, with special focus on factors affecting flow-induced vibrations in internal two-phase flow. Various factors affecting the magnitude and dominant frequency of forces are narrated and the correlations previously developed to estimate these quantities are discussed. Dimensionless forces are extracted from the literature and plotted against Weber number, to provide a database for comparison and to serve as a validation tool for any studies conducted using computational fluid dynamics. Furthermore, some important literature on flow-induced vibrations under different conditions is presented in tabular form to better understand these findings. Finally, some concluding remarks and comments on future research prospects and challenges are outlined.

Keywords

• flow-induced vibrations
• dimensionless forces
• dominant frequency
• Weber number
• fluid–structure interaction