Two-fluid modelling for poly-disperse bubbly flows in vertical pipes: Analysis of the impact of geometrical parameters and heat transfer

Abstract

The bubbly flow of air or steam in subcooled water are investigated here in several test cases, characterized by different pipe sizes, bubble dimensions and flow rates, by means of CFD using a Eulerian-Eulerian approach. The performance of models that differ for the turbulence closure in the continuous phase, as well as for the description of the lift force on the dispersed phase, are compared in detail. When air is considered, the space of the experimental parameters leading to a reasonable performance for the selected models are identified and discussed, while the issues left in the modelling of the concurrent condensation are highlighted for the cases where steam is used.

Keywords

• Bubbly flow
• Computational fluid dynamics
• Multiphase flows
• Two-fluid model
• Vertical pipe
• Interfacial closures