Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Numerical analysis of the two-phase pressure drop and liquid distribution in single-screw expander prototype

  • Article
  • Engineering Thermophysics
  • Published:
Chinese Science Bulletin

Abstract

In this paper, the numerical simulations have been carried out to evaluate the two-phase pressure drop and liquid distribution in screw channel. The numerical models are validated against the present experimental data with statistical accuracy. The effects of pitch circle diameter (PCD), inlet velocity and inlet sectional liquid holdup on the pressure drop and liquid distribution characteristics in the screw channel are illustrated. It is found that decreasing the PCD and increasing the inlet sectional liquid holdup can increase the liquid holdup on the outer side in screw channel. The PCD and the inlet sectional liquid holdup need to be considered in evaluating the two-phase frictional pressure drop per unit length in the screw channel. The PCD has an effect on the development of the average pressure in the various cross sections, and the inlet sectional liquid holdup has no visible impact on the changing process of the pressure drop in the screw channel. The correlation developed predicts the two-phase frictional pressure drop in the screw channel with great statistical accuracy.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Wang W, Wu YT, Ma CF (2011) Preliminary experimental study of single screw expander prototype. Appl Therm Eng 31:3684–3688

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Naphon P, Wongwises S (2006) A review of flow and heat transfer characteristics in curved tubes. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 10:463–490

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Vashisth S, Kumar V, Krishna DP (2008) A review on the potential applications of curved geometries in process industry. Eng Chem Res 47:3291–3337

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Chang SW, Chiang KF, Kao JK (2011) Heat transfer and pressure drop in a square spiral channel roughened by in-line skew ribs. Int J Heat Mass Transf 54:3167–3178

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Sui Y, Teo CJ, Lee PS (2010) Fluid flow and heat transfer in wavy microchannels. Int J Heat Mass Transf 53:2760–2774

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Moawed M (2005) Experimental investigation of natural convection from vertical and horizontal helicoidal pipes in HVAC applications. Energy Convers Manag 46:2996–3103

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Biswas AB, Das SK (2008) Two-phase frictional pressure drop of gas–non-Newtonian liquid flow through helical coils in vertical orientation. Chem Eng Process 47:816–826

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Bandyopadhyay TK, Biswas AB, Das SK (2010) Gas-non-Newtonian liquid flow through helical coils—pressure drop and CFD analysis. ICMOC

  9. Murai Y, Yoshikawa S, Toda S (2006) Structure of air-water two-phase flow in helically coiled tubes. Nucl Eng Des 236:94–106

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Zhang J, Guo J, Gong DT (2006) An investigation on oil-water separation mechanism inside helical pipes. J Hydrodyn Ser B 18:343–347

  11. Vashisth S, Nigam KDP (2009) Prediction of flow profiles and interfacial phenomena for two-phase flow in coiled tubes. Chem Eng Process 48:452–463

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Jayakumar JS, Mahajani SM, Mandal JC (2010) Thermal hydraulic characteristics of air-water two-phase flows in helical pipes. Chem Eng Res Des 88:501–512

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Xia GD, Liu XF, Zhai YL et al (2014) Single-phase and two-phase flows through helical rectangular channels in single screw expander prototype. J Hydrodyn Ser B 26:114–121

  14. Xia GD, Liu XF (2014) An investigation of two-phase flow pressure drop in helical rectangular channel. Int Commun Heat Mass Transf 54:33–41

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Guo LJ, Feng ZP, Chen XJ (2001) An experimental investigation of the frictional pressure drop of steam-water two-phase flow in helical coils. Int J Heat Mass Transf 44:2601–2610

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Zhao L, Guo LJ, Bai BF (2003) Convective boiling heat transfer and two-phase flow characteristics inside a small horizontal helically coiled tubing once-through steam generator. Int J Heat Mass Transf 46:4779–4788

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Chen XJ, Guo LJ (1999) Flow patterns and pressure drop in oil-air-water three-phase flow through helically coiled tubes. Int J Multiph Flow 25:1053–1072

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Xin RC, Awwad A, Dong ZF (1996) An investigation and comparative study of the pressure drop in air-water two-phase flow in vertical helicoidal pipes. Int J Heat Mass Transf 39:735–743

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Xin RC, Awwad A, Dong ZF (1997) An experimental study of single-phase and two-phase flow pressure drop in annular helicoidal pipes. Int J Heat Fluid Flow 18:482–488

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Biswas AB, Das SK (2007) Frictional pressure drop of air non-Newtonian liquid flow through. Can J Chem Eng 85:129–136

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Awwad A, Xin RC, Dong ZF (1997) Measurement and correlation of the pressure drop in air-water two-phase flow in horizontal helicoidal pipes. Int J Multiphase Flow 21:607–619

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Santini L, Cioncolini A, Lombardi C (2008) Two-phase pressure drops in a helically coiled steam generator. Int J Heat Mass Transf 51:4926–4939

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Ju HM, Huang ZY, Xu YH (2001) Hydraulic performance of small bending radius helical coil-pipe. J Nucl Sci Technol 38:826–831

  24. Yakhot V, Orszag SA (1986) Renormalization group analysis of turbulence. J Sci Comput 1:3–51

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgment

This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Beijing (3142004) and the National Basic Research Program of China (2011CB710704).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Enhanced Heat Transfer and Energy Conservation of Ministry of Education, College of Environmental and Energy Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, China

    Xianfei Liu, Guodong Xia, Yuling Zhai & Guang Yang

Authors
  1. Xianfei Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Guodong Xia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yuling Zhai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Guang Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Guodong Xia.

Additional information

SPECIAL TOPIC: Deep Utilization of Boiler Low-Temperature Flue Gas

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Liu, X., Xia, G., Zhai, Y. et al. Numerical analysis of the two-phase pressure drop and liquid distribution in single-screw expander prototype. Chin. Sci. Bull. 59, 4388–4396 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-014-0560-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-014-0560-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation