Enhancing the Learning of Two-Phase Flow Measurement Techniques in a Modern Mechanical Engineering Program

This paper outlines a proposed low-cost experimental setup for the measurement of two-phase liquid-gas flows in a vertical column. The objective of the test facility is to familiarize students with the challenges in applying measurement techniques to characterize such flows. The test facility incorporates two complementary intrusive and non-intrusive measurement techniques for detecting and studying the dynamics of air bubbles transported in water. The intrusive measurement method uses conductivity probes, while the non-intrusive technique is laser based. For both measurement techniques, details of the data acquisition system and the characteristics of sensors employed are presented. In addition, the teaching strategy is discussed for implementing the use of the proposed two-phase flow experimental setup in a Mechanical Engineering curriculum.