ARTICLE:

• THE EFFECT OF BUOYANCY ON PHASE DISTRIBUTION IN BUBBLY TWO-PHASE FLOWS  download article

M. Singhal
Center for Multiphase Research, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, U.S.A.

Richard T. Lahey, Jr.
Center for Multiphase Research, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180-3590, USA

Donald A. Drew
Center for Multiphase Research, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY USA

ABSTRACT

Advanced generation two-fluid models give good predictions for bubbly flows on earth (i.e., at 1-g), where a few dominant terms such as the lift, wall force and turbulent dispersion, determine the lateral void fraction distribution. However, for microgravity conditions these buoyancy-related terms become quite small and model predictions are inadequate. This suggests that some of the physics lost during ensemble averaging was not included back into the model with the closure laws that have been used.
This study examines recent modelling advances that include the effect of the phasic velocity fluctuations on phase distribution. It was found that with the addition of these terms to the closure models, one is able to achieve good predictions of both gas/liquid and solid/liquid dispersed phase distribution over a wide range of gravity levels.

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