Gas Volume Fraction and Velocity Profiles

Subtitle: Vertical and Inclined Bubbly Air-Water Flows

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Lucas, G.

Affiliations: School of Computing and Engineering, University of Huddersfield, Queensgate, Huddersfield, HD1 3DH, UK. E-mail: g.lucas@hud.ac.uk

Abstract: Upward inclined gas-liquid flows are frequently encountered in the oil industry and data relating to the local gas volume fraction distribution and the local gas velocity distribution is important, for example, in pressure gradient prediction and in modeling oil well 'blowouts'. In this paper measurements are presented of the local gas volume fraction distribution and the local axial gas velocity distribution which were taken in bubbly air-water flows in an 80 mm diameter pipe which was inclined at angles of 0°, 15° and 30° to the vertical. Qualitative arguments are presented to explain the influence of the liquid superficial velocity on the local gas volume fraction distribution in inclined flow and also to explain the very high axial gas velocities observed towards the upper side of the inclined pipe.

Keywords: Local volume fraction, Local velocity, Inclined gas-liquid flow

Journal: Journal of Visualization, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 419-426, 2006