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Gas-Liquid Flow Through an Inclined T-Junction with a Vertical-Upward Branch

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Abstract

The present work studies the behavior of air-water flow mixtures across a 10∘-inclined T-junction. A detailed experimental campaign is carried out to yield data on the global and local properties of the gas and liquid phases, including the mass flow rates at the entrance and exits, pressure at several locations, lengths and velocities of the gas bubbles and mean and turbulent statistics of the continuous field. Particle Image Velocimetry and the Shadow Sizer technique are used simultaneously to provide information on the discrete and continuous fields. The gas and liquid flow rates are varied in the ranges 0.07 m3h− 1 ≤ QG ≤ 0.27 m3h− 1 and 6.07 m3h− 1 ≤ QL ≤ 13.65 m3h− 1 to define nine different test conditions. Concerning the phase separation efficiency of the investigated T-junction, the observed highest fraction of separated gas was 93%, but with fractions of carried liquid as high as 15% for some conditions.

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Acknowledgments

YSG is thankful to CAPES for a studentship and ANP/Petrobras for a research sponsorship. VYA acknowledges ANP/Petrobras for the award of a visiting scholarship. JBRL benefited from a CNPq Research Fellowship (Grant No 309455/2016-2) and from further financial support through Grants CNPq 458249/2014-9 and FAPERJ E-26/203.257/2016.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Interdisciplinary Center for Fluid Dynamics (NIDF/UFRJ), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, R. Moniz Aragao No. 360, Bloco 2, 21941-972, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

    Yasmin S. Gavioli & Valter Y. Aibe

  2. Interdisciplinary Center for Fluid Dynamics (NIDF/UFRJ), Mechanical Engineering Program (PEM/COPPE), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, R. Moniz Aragao No. 360, Bloco 2, 21941-972, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

    Juliana B. R. Loureiro

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  1. Yasmin S. Gavioli
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  2. Valter Y. Aibe
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  3. Juliana B. R. Loureiro
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Correspondence to Juliana B. R. Loureiro.

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Gavioli, Y.S., Aibe, V.Y. & Loureiro, J.B.R. Gas-Liquid Flow Through an Inclined T-Junction with a Vertical-Upward Branch. Flow Turbulence Combust 103, 1011–1037 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10494-019-00082-4

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