Two-Phase Flow-Induced Forces on Bends in Small Scale Tubes

Two-phase flow occurs in many situations in industry. Under certain circumstances, this can be the source of flow-induced vibrations. The forces generated can be sufficiently large to affect the performance or efficiency of an industrial device. At worst, the mechanical forces that arise may endanger structural integrity. Thus, it is important to take these forces into account in designing industrial machinery to avoid problems during operation. Although the occurrence of such forces is well-known, not much is known about their magnitudes. Unfortunately, the amount of experimental data available in literature is rather limited. This paper describes an investigation into the forces in a two-phase flow in a 6mm pipe containing a bend. The results are analyzed based on flow regime and bend configuration. Finally, a simple model is proposed to predict the forces generated by slug flow.