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FLOW

PATTERN

DVORA

TRANSITION
FOR VERTICAL
TWO PHASE FLOW
BARNEA*,

OVADIA

School of Engineering,

(Received

SHOHAM

Tel-Aviv

and YEHUDA

DOWNWARD

TAITEL

University, Ramat-Aviv, israel

4 May 1981; occepled

10 August 1981)

Ahshwt-Experiments
of flow paltern for vertical downward gas-liquid flow are reported. In addition theoretically
based transition criteria for the flow pattern are presented. The experimental results compare resonably well with
the theoretical model for the prediction of flow pattern in vertical downward flow.

In contrast to the extensive research in two phase flow of


horizontal
and upward flows, there are only few investigations
of gas liquid mixtures in downward
flow.
Golan and Stenning[l]
considered
downward
flow in
an inverted
U tube consisted
of a vertical riser followed
by a vertical
downcomer.
In the downcomer
they
identified
the transition
from slug and bubble flow to
annular flow. In between the two boundaries
they found
an oscillatory
regime which results probably
because
of
the U type configuration
of the pipe. Martin[2]
investigated
the transition
from bubble
to slug flow in
downward
flow of air water in a 14 cm dia. pipe. The data
was correlated
on a map of Flowing
volumetric
concentration
versus Froude number and on a map of gas
flux versus
liquid flux. Martin[3]
investigated
experimentally
vertical downward
slug flow of air-water
mixtures in pipes and measured
the terminal
velocity
of
descending,
stationary
and ascending
bubbles
in downward flows. Kulov et al.[4] measured
pressure
drop, film
thickness
and entrainment
in downward
two phase flow,
and proposed
relationships
for calculating
the measured
parameters
as a function
of gas and liquid flow rates.
Recently
Spedding
and Nguyen [5] published
flow regime
map for vertical
downward
flow which does not compare well with our data probably
owing to Speddiogs
different classification
of the flow pattern.
The objective
of this work is to provide
a complete
flow pattern map for vertical downward
flow as well as
to propose
a physical
mechanism
for the transition
boundaries
and to model these transitions.
EXPERIMENTALRESULTS

Experiments
were conducted
in 2.5 and 5.1 cm dia.,
10 m long pipes using air-water.
The flow pattern were
observed
for a wide range of flow rates of water and air
at room temperature
and 0.1 MPa (outlet pressure).
The results were plotted on flow pattern
maps using
Ye* and I(~* (the superficial
velocities)
as coordinates
(see Figs. I and 2).
Only three flow regimes were observed:
annular flow,
Author

to whom correspondence

should be addressed.

Fig. 1 Flow pattern map, vertical downward flow, 2.5 cm pipe:--,


experiment;---,
theory

Fig. 2. Flow pattern

-,

map, vertical
experimental;

downward

---,

theory.

flow. 5.1 cm pipe:

slug flow and dispersed


bubble flow. The most natural
regime in vertical
downward
flow is the annular
flow
which takes the form of falling film at low gas rate and
typical annular flow for high gas flow rate.
At high liquid flow rates of about 0.6 m/set the transition annular
to slug flow is observed.
This transition
occurs
at relatively
constant
liquid flow rate. At very
high gas flow rates the transition
line to slug flow moves
slightly towards higher liquid flow rates.
At higher liquid flow rates the transition
to dispersed
bubble is observed.
For the 2.54 cm dia. pipe (Fig. l), this
transition
is almost at the same position as in horizontal
and vertical upflow [6,7] while in the 5.1 cm dia. pipe the
transition
to dispersed
bubble occurs at relatively
lower
liquid Bow rates and the slug flow regime shriiks
somewhat (Fig. 2).
741

742

DVORABARNEAel al.
TRANSITION

MECHANISMS

AND MODELLING

ated from

When liquid at low flow rate is introduced


into a
vertical
downward
pipe, without
gas, it moves
as a
symmetrical
falling
film.
When
gas
is introduced
cocurrently
with the liquid, the gas flows along the pipe
core while the liquid along the tube periphery.
Therefore
the process of analyzing
transition
between flow regimes
in downward
flow starts from the condition
of annular
flow. The approach
is to determine
the mechanism
by
which a change from annular to slug flow is expected
to
take place and then to determine
the mechanism
for the
slug-dispersed
bubble
transition.
The fist step is the
development
of the relationship
between the film thickness and the flow parameters.
Consider
an equilibrium
annular (or falling film) flow,
balance on each phase
as shown in Fig. 3, a momentum
yields

- &
Equating

@) - r,S, +poA~g =0.

pressure

drop

in the two phases

(2)
yields:

Substituting
n-D

S,=
A,

= ~(08

S, = a-(D-

26)

- 6)

(4)

where
D

=4A,~4&-&~)
s I.

Dr;=+$=(I--2&D
(8)

ur*

U, =

ur-=v)

4&.
l-46+4$

(9)

In this work the following


coefficients
were used:
C, = CL = 0.046, n = m = 0.2 for the turbulent
flow and
Co = CL = 16, n = m = 1.0 for laminar flow.
A solution of (3) yields the film thickness
as a function
of the superficial
liquid and gas velocities,
the physical
properties
of the fluids and the pipe diameter.
The criteria for transition
between
annular
and slug
flow win be based on the same concept as in [6]. A stable
slug will be formed when the supply of liquid in the film
is large enough to provide the liquid needed to maintain
such a slug. When the liquid holdup in the slug is twice
the liquid holdup in annular
flow then transition
to slug
flow occurs.
It is visualized
that such a slug is formed
when owing to the presence
of waves an axial transfer of
fluid from the wave trough is transfered
to the wave
crest. When enough liquid is present
at the crest cross
section a blockage
occurs
which leads to transition
to
slug flow.
Assuming
the liquid holdup in slug is 0.7[7], the transition to slug flow will take place at

Yields
&=O.S

where

8/D.

g=

The shear
manner
r,++

with the liquid

stresses

are evaluated

in the conventional

7 _ fi PC&G - ur12
2
and the interfacial

Fk. 3. Annular downward

friction

factors

vertical tlow.

(6)
evalu-

or

+=a.35

The transition
line based on the above criteria is
plotted on Figs. 1 and 2 and show a good agreement with
the experimental
data for D =2.5 cm and somewhat
higher values but still acceptable
for D = 5.1 cm.
The mechanism
of transition from slug to dispersed
bubble flow is the same as for the case for upward
vertical flow[7]. This transition
takes place when turbulent forces overcome
interfacial
tension to disperse
the gas phase into small bubbles. Thus the result of [7] is
basically applicable here and may be given by the transition line

Although
eqn (11) agrees generally
with our experimental results, better accuracy
could be achieved
by
improving the aforementioned
model to include the relative small effect of the gas holdup on the process of
coalescence
and breakup
and on the resulting
bubble
size.
Calderbank[8]
investigated
the interelation
between
coalescence,
breakup
and bubble
size in a gas-liquid

Flow pattern
system and found that the critical bubble diameter
increases
in proportion
to the square
root of the gas
holdup.
Considering
that
at negligible
gas holdup
Hinzes [9] correlation
is valid and based on Calderbanks
measurements
the following
correlation
evolves
which
includes the effect of the void fraction on the bubble size
d max
- 4 15 a* + 0.725
(al&) I5e- 2S - *
As before[7]

the terms

in (12) are calculated

as follows

(14)

The turbulent
breakup prevent agglomeration
when the
bubble size is small enough to cause the bubble to remain
in a stable spherical
shape. Deformed
bubbles are also
those that will easily coalesce into large Taylor bubbles.
Brodkey[lO]
used
112

0.40

(17)

[ (& - pG)g I

as a criteria where bubbles


that have smaller diameter
behave as solid spheres.
Equation
(17) estimates
the lower limit at which bubbles behave as rigid spheres but based on data [ll] they
do maintain their spherical
shape up to about twice the
values
given by (17). Thus we consider
here that
whenever
d,,,
(eqn 12) is lower than the aforementioned
values the flow will be coalescence
resistant,
namely
dispersed
bubble flow. The transition
line is thus given
by
2

(pL ,,,]
C

(eL) [a CL

(~)-pI3-v5

0.5

=0.725+4.15

( )
h
%

given by the line of constant

(W

Equation
(18) agrees
somewhat
better with experimental results than (11) in particular
it predicts well the
slight upward trend of the transition
line for increasing
the gas flow rate (Fig. 1).
Calderbanks
data were limited to void fraction
below
o = 10% and the validity of (12) for high gas holdup is
open to question.
Nevertheless
for the purpose
of this
work, this correlation
will be used up to (I = 0.52171
where a maximum
packing
is reached.
For (I z 0.52 the transition
to dispersed
bubbles
is

u,.=u,,++(l-a)uo
where a = 0.52 and u0 is the rise velocity
relative
to
the
liquid
which
is
Harmathy[lZ].
ug= 1.53

(13)

d&l =

743

trilnsition

&?(PL- PO)0 I14


3.
Pr 2

(19)
of the bubbles
estimated
by

(20)

Similar to the case of vertical upward flow the bubble


flow pattern
can exist below the aforementioned
transition line provided
(a) The pipe diameter is larger than
D > 4.36 [s]?

(21)

(b) The gas holdup is below a = 0.25


Conditions
(a) and i$) represent
the situation
where
coalescence
is negligible and bubbles keep their separate
identity even under relatively
low liquid rate.
Condition (a) is associated
with the difference
between
the rise velocity of Taylor bubbles and small spherical
bubbles. A necessary
condition for bubble flow to exist is
that whenever
a random
Taylor
type aglomeration
is
formed its upward
velocity
should exceed the bubbles
velocity.
This condition
is satisfied
for pipe diameter
given by (21). In the case of smaller pipe diameter
the
faster rising bubbles approach
the back end of the Taylor
bubble coalescing
with it and increasing
its size. Under
these conditions
bubbly flow cannot exist.
Condition
(b) states that al low liquid rate and low
density
of bubbles
coalescence
is not likely to occur
even at pipe diameter larger than given by (21). Thus for
large pipe size the value of IX= 0.25 was chosen [7] as the
transition
line separating
slug and bubble
flow. This
transition
line is given by (19) for (Y= 0.25 and is shown
in Fig. 2.
Thus for pipe size of 5 cm the transition to dispersed
bubble is composed of 4 different sections depending on
the mechanism
of transition. Proceeding
from right to
left (see Fig. 2) the first section is the transition line of
a = 0.52 (19) below which bubbles cannot exist because
of their high density. The second section is the transition
iine caused by turbulent breakup (18). The third section is
the cx= 0.25 line for which, as discussed,
bubble can exist
even at low turbulent
conditions
provided
LI (0.25
and
coalescence
is negligible. Finally the fourth section is the
extension of the transition
to annular flow that for low gas
flow rate represent
annular-dispersed
bubble transition
while for higher gas flow rate it is the annular slugtransition
line.
For pipe diameter of 2.54 the transition to dispersed
bubble is shown in Fig. 1 to consist of only 2 sections.
The ~1 = 0.52 (19) line and the condition given by (18). As
mentioned for small diameter pipe bubbles cannot exist
at liquid flow rate below transition (18).
As seen in Figs. 1 and 2, also the experimental results
show considerable
dierent
trend of tbe transition to
dispersed bubble for 2.54 and 5.1 cm pipes which follow
reasonably well the trend predicted by the theory.

Dvoa~ BARNEAef ul.

744
SUMMARY

AND

CONCLUSlONS

For vertical
downward
Row three flow patterns
are
observed:
annular flow, slug flow and dispersed
bubble
flow.
Models for predicting
the flow boundaries
are presented.
The transition
boundary
between annular and slug flow
is obtained
whenever
the calculated
liquid holdup
in
downward
annular flow is twice the slug hold up.
The boundary
between
slug and dispersed
bubble
flows is predicted
using an improved
version of Taitel ef
al. [7] Hinze breakup theory.
NOTATlON

A
C

flow cross sectional


area
constant
in the friction factor correlation
D
pipe diameter
d bubble diameter
f friction factor
of gravity
Et acceleration
m exponent, eqn (7)
exponent,
eqn (7)
n
pressure
P
s perimeter over which the stress acts
u velocity in the x direction
coordinate
in the downstream
direction
x
Greek
a

6
E

symbols

void fraction
liquid film thickness
energy input per unit mass

and time

IJ
p
LT
+

kinematic
viscosity
density
surface tension
shear stress

Subscri~ls
and superscripls
diameter at which bubble

crit

G
L
s
-

gas
liquid gas interface
liquid
superficial
for one phase
dimensionless
variable

free rise

behaves

flow alone

as a rigid sphere

in the pipe

I
REXERENCES

[II Golan L. P. and Stenning A. H., Proc. Insr. Mech. Engrs


196s70 184 108.
[21 Martin C. S., Transition from bubbly to slug flow of a
vertically downward
air-water
pollution. ASME Symposium, p. 49. Atlanta, 2622 June 1973.
t31 Martin C. S., I. FIuids Engng 1976 98 715.
[41 Kulov N. N., Maksimov V. V. Maljusov V. A. and
Zhavorovkov N. M. Chem. Engng J. 1979 18.
I51 Spedding, P. L. and Van Thahn Nguyen, Chem. Engng Sci.
1980 35 779.
R Taitel Y. and Dukler A. E., A.I.Ch.E.3. 1976 22 47.
I71 Taitel Y., Barnea D. and Dukler A. E., A.1.Ch.E.J. 1980 26
345.
IS] Caldcrbank

P. H., I-rant. Inst. Chem. Engrs 1958 36 443.


[91 Hinze J. O., A.1Ch.E~ 1955 1289.
I101 Brodkey R. S., The Phenomena of Fluid Motion. Addison
Wesley, Reading, Mass. 1967.
[llJ Migagi O., Phil. &fug. 1925 SO 112.
[12J Harmathy, T. Z., A.Z.Ch.EJ. I%0 6 281.

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