Evaluation of velocity fields in horizontal gas-liquid intermittent flows using Stereoscopic-PIV and instantaneous masking procedure

Abstract

The main goal of this work was to obtain well-converged liquid velocity profiles for intermittent gas-liquid flows in a horizontal pipe. To this end, air and water with superficial velocities of J_G = 0.5 m/s and J_L = 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5 m/s, respectively, were driven into a 18-m acrylic test section with an inner diameter of 40 mm. All three-components of the velocity vectors were measured in a pipe cross-section using a highfrequency stereoscopic PIV system, together with the laser induced fluorescence technique. Photogates were used to measure the unit cell translational velocity, as well as to trigger data acquisition, allowing the calculation of ensemble-averaged velocity fields at specific positions, referenced to the gas-bubble nose tip position. An instantaneous image masking procedure was implemented, allowing the determination of non-dimensional ensemble-averaged velocity profile in the liquid film, referenced to gas-bubble boundary. The high-frequency system employed allowed the determination of the influence of the faster-moving gas bubble on the liquid velocity field in the plug region. The data presented are relevant to the validation and improvement of one-dimensional two-phase numerical models, as well as to better understand this complex flow.