Analysis and Modeling of Liquid Holdup in Low Liquid Loading Two-Phase Flow Using Computational Fluid Dynamics and Experimental Data

2020 ◽  
Vol 143 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Ballesteros ◽  
Nicolás Ratkovich ◽  
Eduardo Pereyra
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Experimental Data ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Liquid Holdup ◽  
Liquid Loading ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Acceptable Error ◽  
Pharmaceutical Industries

Abstract Low liquid loading flow occurs very commonly in the transport of any kind of wet gas, such as in the oil and gas, the food, and the pharmaceutical industries. However, most studies that analyze this type of flow do not cover actual industry fluids and operating conditions. This study focused then on modeling this type of flow in medium-sized (6-in [DN 150] and 10-in [DN 250]) pipes, using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. When comparing with experimental data from the University of Tulsa, the differences observed between experimental and CFD data for the liquid holdup and the pressure drop seemed to fall within acceptable error, around 20%. Additionally, different pipe sections from a Colombian gas pipeline were simulated with a natural gas-condensate mixture to analyze the effect of pipe inclination and operation variables on liquid holdup, in real industry conditions. It was noticed that downward pipe inclinations favored smooth stratified flow and decreased liquid holdup in an almost linear fashion, while upward inclinations generated unsteady wavy flows, or even a possible annular flow, and increased liquid holdup and liquid entrainment into the gas phase.

Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling of Gas–Liquid Cylindrical Cyclones, Geometrical Analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 140 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Carlos Berrio ◽  
Eduardo Pereyra ◽  
Nicolas Ratkovich
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Experimental Data ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Cfd Modeling ◽  
Nozzle Geometry ◽  
Geometrical Parameters ◽  
Experimental Setup ◽  
Dynamics Modeling ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Mean Square Errors

The gas–liquid cylindrical cyclone (GLCC) is a widely used alternative for gas–liquid conventional separation. Besides its maturity, the effect of some geometrical parameters over its performance is not fully understood. The main objective of this study is to use computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling in order to evaluate the effect of geometrical modifications in the reduction of liquid carry over (LCO) and gas carry under (GCU). Simulations for two-phase flow were carried out under zero net liquid flow, and the average liquid holdup was compared with Kanshio (Kanshio, S., 2015, “Multiphase Flow in Pipe Cyclonic Separator,” Ph.D. thesis, Cranfield University, Cranfield, UK) obtaining root-mean-square errors around 13% between CFD and experimental data. An experimental setup, in which LCO data were acquired, was built in order to validate a CFD model that includes both phases entering to the GLCC. An average discrepancy below 6% was obtained by comparing simulations with experimental data. Once the model was validated, five geometrical variables were tested with CFD. The considered variables correspond to the inlet configuration (location and inclination angle), the effect of dual inlet, and nozzle geometry (diameter and area reduction). Based on the results, the best configuration corresponds to an angle of 27 deg, inlet location 10 cm above the center, a dual inlet with 20 cm of spacing between both legs, a nozzle of 3.5 cm of diameter, and a volute inlet of 15% of pipe area. The combination of these options in the same geometry reduced LCO by 98% with respect to the original case of the experimental setup. Finally, the swirling decay was studied with CFD showing that liquid has a greater impact than the gas flowrate.

scholarly journals Flow Characteristics of Multiphase Glass Beads-Water Slurry through Horizontal Pipeline using Computational Fluid Dynamics

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 6605-6623 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shofique Uddin Ahmed ◽  
Rajesh Arora ◽  
Om Parkash
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Experimental Data ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Pressure Drop ◽  
Control Volume ◽  
Particle Diameter ◽  
Solid Particles ◽  
Slurry Flow ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Horizontal Pipe

Over the decades conveying solid particles through pipelines is a prevalent usage for many industries like food industries, pharmaceutical, oil and gas-solid handling, power generations etc. In the present study, slurry flow through 54.9 mm diameter and 4 m long horizontal pipe with solid particle diameter 0.125 mm and specific gravity 2.47 has been numerically analysed using a granular version of Eulerian two-phase model and RNG K-  model. The solid particles are considered as mono-dispersed in the Eulerian model. These models are available in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) fluent software package. Non-uniform structured three-dimensional mesh with a refinement near wall boundary region has been selected for discretising the flow domain, and governing equations are solved using control volume finite difference method. Simulations are conducted at velocity varying from 1 m/s to 5 m/s and efflux concentration varying from 0.1 to 0.5 by volume. Different slurry flow parameters such as solid concentration distribution, velocity distribution, pressure drop etc. have been analysed from the simulated results. The simulated results of pressure drop are correlated with the experimental data available in previous literature and are found to be in excellent compliance with the experimental data.

Experimental and Numerical Investigations of Aerodynamic Behavior of a Three-Stage HP-Turbine at Different Operating Conditions

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. A. Abdelfattah ◽  
M. T. Schobeiri
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Experimental Data ◽  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽  
High Pressure ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Numerical Investigations ◽  
Turbine Performance ◽  
Speed Range ◽  
Three Stages

This paper describes experimental and numerical investigations of a three-stage high pressure research turbine which incorporates fully 3-D bowed blades at various operating conditions. Experimental data were obtained using interstage aerodynamic measurements at three measurement stations, namely, downstream of the first rotor row, the second stator row and the second rotor row. Measurements were conducted through the use of five-hole probes traversed in both circumferential and radial directions to create a measurement window. Aerodynamics measurements were carried out within a rotational speed range of 1800 to 2800 RPM. Numerical simulation of the aforementioned turbine was performed through the use of a commercial computational fluid dynamics code. A detailed mesh of the three-stages was created and used to simulate the corresponding operating conditions and a comparison was made between experimentally and numerically determined aerodynamics and turbine performance.

Hydrodynamics and Mass Transfer Simulation in Airlift Bioreactor with Settler using Computational Fluid Dynamics

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Oscar M. Hernández-Calderón ◽  
Marcos D. González-Llanes ◽  
Erika Y. Rios-Iribe ◽  
Sergio A. Jiménez-Lam ◽  
Ma.del Carmen Chavez-Parga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Experimental Data ◽  
Mass Transfer ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Liquid Velocity ◽  
Fluid Dynamic ◽  
Gas Holdup ◽  
Airlift Bioreactor ◽  
Cfd Modeling ◽  
Two Phase

Abstract In this work, the effect of inlet-gas superficial velocity over the circulation liquid velocity, gas holdup and mass transfer, from an airlift bioreactor with settler were studied by Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling and contrasted with experimental results. Multiphase mixture model and κ-ε turbulence model were used to describe the two phases gas-liquid flow pattern in airlift bioreactor. The hydrodynamic parameters such as liquid circulation velocity and gas holdup were computed by solving the governing equations of continuity, moment and turbulence transport using the finite volume method. Global mass transfer coefficient was evaluated through the Higbie’s penetration theory and the two-phase fluid dynamic theory. Comparison between our numerical data and experimental data previously reported in the literature was done. Numerical and experimental data were very close, and the differences found were discussed in terms of the limitations of this study.

scholarly journals Modeling of H2 Permeation through Electroless Pore-Plated Composite Pd Membranes Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

Membranes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 123
Author(s):  
Alberto Fernández ◽  
Cintia Casado ◽  
David Alique ◽  
José Antonio Calles ◽  
Javier Marugán
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Experimental Data ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Hydrogen Permeation ◽  
Membrane Surface ◽  
Molar Fraction ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Cfd Modeling ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

This work focused on the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling of H2/N2 separation in a membrane permeator module containing a supported dense Pd-based membrane that was prepared using electroless pore-plating (ELP-PP). An easy-to-implement model was developed based on a source–sink pair formulation of the species transport and continuity equations. The model also included the Darcy–Forcheimer formulation for modeling the porous stainless steel (PSS) membrane support and Sieverts’ law for computing the H2 permeation flow through the dense palladium film. Two different reactor configurations were studied, which involved varying the hydrogen flow permeation direction (in–out or out–in). A wide range of experimental data was simulated by considering the impact of the operating conditions on the H2 separation, such as the feed pressure and the H2 concentration in the inlet stream. Simulations of the membrane permeator device showed an excellent agreement between the predicted and experimental data (measured as permeate and retentate flows and H2 separation). Molar fraction profiles inside the permeator device for both configurations showed that concentration polarization near the membrane surface was not a limit for the hydrogen permeation but could be useful information for membrane reactor design, as it showed the optimal length of the reactor.

Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis of a Hydrokinetic Turbine Based on Oscillating Hydrofoils

2012 ◽  
Vol 134 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Kinsey ◽  
Guy Dumas
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Experimental Data ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Spatial Configuration ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Power Extraction ◽  
Numerical Predictions ◽  
Hydrokinetic Turbine ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis

The performance of a new concept of hydrokinetic turbine using oscillating hydrofoils to extract energy from water currents (tidal or gravitational) is investigated using URANS numerical simulations. The numerical predictions are compared with experimental data from a 2 kW prototype, composed of two rectangular oscillating hydrofoils of aspect ratio 7 in a tandem spatial configuration. 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) predictions are found to compare favorably with experimental data especially for the case of a single-hydrofoil turbine. The validity of approximating the actual arc-circle trajectory of each hydrofoil by an idealized vertical plunging motion is also addressed by numerical simulations. Furthermore, a sensitivity study of the turbine’s performance in relation to fluctuating operating conditions is performed by feeding the simulations with the actual time-varying experimentally recorded conditions. It is found that cycle-averaged values, as the power-extraction efficiency, are little sensitive to perturbations in the foil kinematics and upstream velocity.

Geometrical Optimization of a Steam Jet-Ejector Using the Computational Fluid Dynamics

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masoud Darbandi ◽  
Seyedali Sabzpoushan ◽  
Gerry E. Schneider
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Thermal Power ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Vacuum System ◽  
Main Concern ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Entrainment Ratio ◽  
Turbulent Fluid Flow ◽  
Vacuum Systems

The vacuum systems play crucial role in various industries including, but not limited to, power generation, refrigeration, desalination, and aerospace engineering. There are different types of vacuum systems. Among them, the ejector or vacuum pump is highly utilized due to its low capital cost and easy maintenance. Generally, the better operation of a vacuum system can dramatically affect the performance of its upper-hand systems, e.g., the general efficiency of a thermal power plant cycle. This can be achieved if such vacuum systems are correctly designed, implemented, and operated. The focus of this work is on an existing steam jet-ejector, whose primary flow is a high pressure superheated steam and the suction flow is a mixture of steam and air. The main goal of this work is to optimize the geometry of the ejector including the nozzle exit position (NXP), the primary nozzle diverging angle, and the secondary throat length, etc. From the computational fluid dynamics perspective, there are some major challenges to simulate this ejector. It requires predicting the correct turbulent fluid flow and heat transfer phenomena with great complexities in treating the mixed subsonic and supersonic flow regimes, very high and very low pressure regions adjacent to each other, and complex mixing two phase flow jets. Indeed, the latter one has been almost neglected in literature. The main concern of this study is to reduce the consumption of motive steam, i.e., to increase the entrainment ratio via modifying the ejector geometry and investigating its performance under different operating conditions that helps to save the water consumption.

Simplified Stochastic Modelling of the Force on a Pipe Bend Due to Two-Phase Slug Flow

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arnout M. Klinkenberg ◽  
Arris S. Tijsseling
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Flow Pattern ◽  
Slug Flow ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Length Distribution ◽  
Momentum Balance ◽  
Oil Viscosity ◽  
Liquid Holdup ◽  
Pipe Bend

Abstract Slug flow, a flow pattern with alternating aerated liquid pockets (slugs) and large gas bubbles, is a commonly observed flow pattern in oil and gas pipelines. Due to its unsteady character, the force on a pipe bend is fluctuating which results in unacceptable motions when the piping is insufficiently supported. To investigate the risk of fatigue failure of the system, finite-element models are used to predict the dynamic stresses required to estimate the fatigue life of the system. The excitation force of the slug flow is the essential input required for accurate fatigue damage predictions. A new, simplified model of slug forces on a bend is proposed. The model is calculating the slug force by solving the momentum balance over the pipe bend using slug flow properties as liquid holdup and phase velocities. Average properties predicted by a unit slug model cannot predict the stochastic force variations caused by the slug flow. The new approach introduces the stochastic character of slug flow in the force calculations via a log-normal slug length distribution. A Lagrangian slug tracking method is used to solve the governing equations. The modelled liquid holdup, pressure and predicted forces are compared with available measurements and Computational Fluid Dynamics calculations. The measurements were done under atmospheric conditions and the fluids used were air and water. Whether these measurements are representative for high-pressure oil and gas slug flow is unknown. By using a mechanistic approach where the main equations are based on physical laws instead of fitted measured data, the model is applicable for different fluids and operational conditions. To validate the model for oil and gas flows, the results are compared with Computational Fluid Dynamics calculations done with high gas density and typical oil viscosity.

Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling of Benjamin and Taylor Bubbles in Two-Phase Flow in Pipes

2012 ◽  
Vol 134 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Ramdin ◽  
Ruud Henkes
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Surface Tension ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Bubble Velocity ◽  
Multiphase Model ◽  
Dynamics Modeling ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Eotvos Number

Abstract There is an increasing interest in applying three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for multiphase flow transport in pipelines, e.g., in the oil and gas industry. In this study, the volume of fluid (VOF) multiphase model in a commercial CFD code was used to benchmark the capabilities. Two basic flow structures, namely, the Benjamin bubble and the Taylor bubble, are considered. These two structures are closely related to the slug flow regime, which is a common flow pattern encountered in multiphase transport pipelines. After nondimensionalization, the scaled bubble velocity (Froude number) is only dependent on the Reynolds number and on the Eötvös number, which represent the effect of viscosity and surface tension, respectively. Simulations were made for a range of Reynolds numbers and Eötvös numbers (including the limits of vanishing viscosity and surface tension), and the results were compared with the existing experiments and analytical expressions. Overall, there is very good agreement. An exception is the simulation for the 2D Benjamin bubble at a low Eötvös number (i.e., large surface tension effect) which deviates from the experiments, even at a refined numerical grid.

scholarly journals Computational fluid dynamics analysis of a high-throughput viscous heater to process feces and a fecal simulant using temperature and shear rate-dependent viscosity model

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-32
Author(s):  
C. L. German ◽  
J. T. Podichetty ◽  
A. Muzhingi ◽  
B. Makununika ◽  
J. Smay ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Experimental Data ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Shear Rate ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Rate Dependent ◽  
Annular Gap ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis ◽  
Fecal Sludge ◽  
Dependent Viscosity

Abstract Open defecation and poor fecal management facilitates the spread of disease. Viscous heating can pasteurize fecal sludge by creating a high shear field in the annular gap between a stationary, cylindrical outer shell and a rotating inner core. As sludge flows axially through the annular gap, thorough mixing and frictional heating eliminate cool spots where microbes may survive. A viscous heater (VH) compares favorably to a conventional heat exchanger, where cool slugs may occur. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to determine the effects of geometry and fluid rheology on VH performance over a range of conditions. A shear-rate and temperature-dependent rheological model was developed from experimental data, using a sludge simulant. CFD of an existing VH used the model to improve the original naïve design by including temperature and shear rate-dependent viscosity. CFD results were compared to experimental data at 132 and 200 L/hr to predict design and operating conditions for 1,000 L/hr. Subsequent experimentation with fecal sludge indicated that the CFD approach was valid for design and operation.

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