Two-phase cross flow occurs in industrial heat exchangers such as condensers, boilers, and steam generators. Under certain flow regimes and fluid velocities, the fluid forces result in tube vibration and possibly tube damage due to fretting or fatigue. Prediction of these fluid forces requires an understanding of the flow regimes found in heat exchanger tube bundles. Measurements of void fraction within a tube array were taken as an initial step in determining the two-phase flow patterns. The tests were conducted in a Freon 134a test loop at about 1 MPa and 30°C. The measurements were compared against void fraction models commonly used in heat exchanger thermalhydraulic simulation codes and against available flow regime maps. Not surprisingly, the results indicate that a drift-flux model more accurately predicts the void fraction within a tube array. The measurements also confirm the existence of nonuniform void fraction radially around the tube. Based on these measurements and available literature, appropriate void fraction models for use in flow-induced vibration design guidelines are discussed.
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November 2001
Technical Papers
Effect of Flow Regime and Void Fraction on Tube Bundle Vibration
C. E. Taylor,
C. E. Taylor
AECL-Chalk River Laboratories, Chalk River, Ontario K0J 1J0, Canada
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M. J. Pettigrew
M. J. Pettigrew
AECL-Chalk River Laboratories, Chalk River, Ontario K0J 1J0, Canada
Search for other works by this author on:
C. E. Taylor
AECL-Chalk River Laboratories, Chalk River, Ontario K0J 1J0, Canada
M. J. Pettigrew
AECL-Chalk River Laboratories, Chalk River, Ontario K0J 1J0, Canada
Contributed by the Pressure Vessels and Piping Division of THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS and presented at the 7th International Conference on Fluid-Induced Vibration, Lucerne, Switzerland, June 19–22, 2000. Manuscript received by the PVP Division, March 13, 2000; revised manuscript received July 10, 2001. Editor: S. Y. Zamrik.
J. Pressure Vessel Technol. Nov 2001, 123(4): 407-413 (7 pages)
Published Online: July 10, 2001
Article history
Received:
March 13, 2000
Revised:
July 10, 2001
Citation
Taylor , C. E., and Pettigrew, M. J. (July 10, 2001). "Effect of Flow Regime and Void Fraction on Tube Bundle Vibration ." ASME. J. Pressure Vessel Technol. November 2001; 123(4): 407–413. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.1403024
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