Experimental and Analytical Studies on Frictional Pressure Drops of Gas-Liquid Two-Phase Flow at Vena Contract and Expansion Available to Purchase

The frictional pressure drops of gas-liquid two-phase flow in mini-micro pipes and at vena contract and expansion were investigated experimentally and analytically. Pressure drops of straight pipe, sudden enlargement and sudden contraction of gas-liquid two-phase flow in mini-pipes were measured. Test liquid was water at room temperature; test gas was argon. The diameter of the test mini-pipe was 1.0 and 0.5 mm, respectively. Each test tube was connected at both ends to small tanks. The diameter of the small tank was 15 mm for 1.0 mm diameter of test tube and 5 mm for 0.5 mm diameter of test tube, respectively. Thus, the cross-sectional ratio of the contraction was about 1000; the ratio of the enlargement was about 0.001. The pressure drop data were collected over 3.0 < U_G < 130 m/s for the superficial gas velocity and 0.02 < U_L < 6.0 m/s for the superficial liquid velocity. The present experimental results of sudden contraction pressure loss factor Kc and sudden enlargement pressure loss factor Ke of single-phase liquid flow in mini-pipes differed from the conventional values, Kc = 0.5 and Ke = 1.0. The calculated results by using a commercial code, STAR-CD, agreed with the present experimental results for mini-pipes. Assuming to homogenous flow and incompressible flow, sudden contraction pressure loss, sudden enlargement pressure loss and their factors Kc, Ke for gas-liquid two-phase flow were estimated by using momentum equation and energy equation. The contraction pressure losses by Hewitt’s correlation for conventional pipes were similar to the present experimental results of the contraction for mini-circular pipe. Collier’s correlation of the enlargement pressure loss for conventional pipes underpredicted the present experimental results of the enlargement for mini-tube. Based on the present experimental results, new correlations were obtained for the enlargement and the contraction pressure losses in mini-channel.