Abstract
The presence of bubbles exerts a strong influence on pressure drop, heat transfer, flow pattern, and many other flow characteristics. Due to the complexity of two-phase flow boiling, it is not easy to carry out experimental research. An experimental setup based on ultrasonic detection method is built up in this paper. The present study investigates bubble size distribution and vapor quality in liquid-gas two-phase flow in a vertical narrow channel with the cross section of 3×20 mm. Bubble size distribution is heavily affected by the heat power and mass flux, which means that different flow patterns show different bubble size distributions. Vapor quality is also obtained by the ultrasonic attenuation method, which is compared to the theoretical calculation. The ultrasonic detection model is mainly applied in the bubble-coalesced flow. As the vapor quality is small, the detection value is close to the theoretical value, and this detection model is suitable for nucleate boiling. As the vapor quality is increased, the deviation is larger. By comparison with the theoretical calculations, it is necessary to modify the ultrasonic detection model to fit different flow patterns, which is helpful to study the liquid entrainment mechanism in the micro-channel (especially when the inner diameter is less than 5 mm) in the future.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
L. Cheng, Microscale and nanoscale thermal and fluid transport phenomena: rapidly developing research fields, Int. J. Microscale Nanoscale Thermal Fluid Transport Phenomena, 2010, Vol. 1, P. 3–6.
J.R Thome, The new frontier in heat transfer: microscale and nanoscale technologies, Heat Transf. Engng, 2006, Vol. 27, No. 9. P. 1–3.
S.G Kandlikar, Fundamental issues related to flow boiling in minichannels and microchannels, Exp. Thermal Fluid Sci., 2002, Vol. 26, P. 389–407.
J.R. Thome, State-of-the art overview of boiling and two-phase flows in microchannels, Heat Transf. Engng, 2006, Vol. 27, No. 9. P. 4–19.
L. Cheng, Fundamental issues of critical heat flux phenomena during flow boiling in microscale-channels and nucleate pool boiling in confined spaces, Heat Transf. Engng, 2013. Vol. 34, No. 13. P. 1011–1043.
J.R. Thome, Boiling in microchannels: a review of experiment and theory, Int. J. Heat Fluid Flow, 2004, Vol. 25, P. 128–139.
L. Cheng and G Xia, Fundamental issues, mechanisms and models of flow boiling heat transfer in microscale channels, Int. J. Heat Mass Transf., 2017, Vol. 108, P. 97–127.
G. Ribatski, L. Wojtan, and J.R. Thome, An analysis of experimental data and prediction methods for two-phase frictional pressure drop and flow boiling heat transfer in micro-scale channels, Exp. Thermal Fluid Sci., 2006, Vol. 31, No. 1, P. 1–19.
S.K. Suha, G Zummo, and G.P. Celata, Review on flow boiling in microchannels, Int. J. Microscale. Nanoscale Thermal Fluid Transp. Phenomena, 2010, Vol. 1, P. 111–178.
L. Cheng, E.P. Bandana Filho, and J.R. Thome, Nanofluid two-phase flow and thermal physics: a new research frontier of nanotechnology and its challenges, J. Nanoscience Nanotechnol., 2008, Vol. 8, P. 3315–3332.
L. Cheng and L. Liu, Boiling and two phase flow phenomena of refrigerant-based nanofluids: fundamentals, applications and challenges, Int. J. Refrig., 2013, Vol. 36, P. 421–446.
L. Cheng, G. Ribatski, and J.R. Thome, Gas-liquid two-phase flow patterns and flow pattern maps: fundamentals and applications, ASME Appl. Mech. Reviews, 2008, Vol. 61, P. 050802–1–050802–28.
C.B. Tibiricá and G Ribatski, Flow boiling in micro-scale channels — synthesized literature review, Int. J. Refrigeration, 2013, Vol. 36, No. 2, P. 301–324.
C. Berna, A. Escrivá, J.L. Muñoz-Cobo, and L.E. Herranz, Review of droplet entrainment in annular flow: interfacial waves and onset of entrainment, Progress in Nuclear Energy, 2014, Vol. 74, P. 14–43.
M.-X. Su and X.-S. Cai, The numerical study of acoustical attenuation and velocity in the suspension of superfine particles, Acta Acustica Sinica, 2002, Vol. 27, No. 3, P. 218–222.
M.-X. Su, X.-S. Cai, F. Xu, J. Zgang, and Z. Zhao, The measurement of particle size and concentration in suspension by ultrasonic attenuation, Acta Acustica Sinica, 2004, Vol. 29, No. 5, P. 440–444.
M.-X. Su, X.-S. Cai, L.-L. Dong, M.-H. Hue, and S.-J. Wu, Droplet sizing of submicron emulsions by ultrasonic attenuation and velocity spectra, J. Engng Thermophys., 2009, Vol. 30, No. 11, P. 1875–1878.
L. Dong, M.-X. Su, M. Xue, X. Cai, and Z. Shang, Measurement of particle size distribution and volume concentration based on ultrasonic attenuation spectrum in fat emulsion [C], in: 5th Int. Symp. on Measurement Techniques for Multiphase Flows. AIP Conference Proceedings, 2007, Vol. 914, P. 654–660.
D.J. McClements and M.J.W. Povey, Scattering of ultrasound by emulsions, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys., 1989, Vol. 22, P. 38–47.
D.J. McClements, Comparison of multiple scattering theories with experimental measurements in emulsions, J. Acoust. Soc. America, 1992, Vol. 91, P. 849–853.
U. Riebel and F. Loeffler, The fundamentals of particle size analysis by means of ultrasonic spectrometry, Particle and Partical System Characterization, 1989, Vol. 6, P. 135–143.
Patent US4,706,509. 1987. U. Riebel, Method and an apparatus for ultrasonic measuring of the solids concentration and particle size distribution in a suspension.
L.-H. Huang, G. Li, and L.-R. Tao, Experimental investigation on the heat transfer characteristics and flow pattern in vertical narrow channels heated from one side, Heat Mass Transf., 2016, Vol. 52, No. 7, P. 1343–1357.
P.S. Epstein and R.R. Carhart, The absorption of sound in suspensions and emulsions. I. Water fog in air, J. Acoust. Soc. America, 1953, Vol. 25, No. 3, P. 553–565.
J.R. Allegra and S.A. Hawley, Attenuation of sound in suspensions and emulsions: theory and experiments, J. Acoust. Soc. America, 1972, Vol. 51, No. 5, P. 1545–1564.
J.Q. Shen, M.-X. Su, and J.F. Li, A new algorithm of relaxation method for particle analysis from forward scattering light, China Particuology, 2006, Vol.4, No. 1, P. 13–19.
F. Ferri, A. Bassini, and E. Paganini, Modified version of the Chahine algorithm to invert spectral extinction data for particle sizing, Appl. Opt., 1995, Vol. 34(25), P. 5829–5839.
S.M. Yang and W.Q. Tao, Heat Transfer. 4th ed., Higher Education Press, Beijing, 2006.
W.D. Shen and J.G Tong, Engineering Thermodynamics. 4th ed., Higher Education Press, Beijing, 2007.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
The supports from “Shanghai key laboratory of multiphase flow and heat transfer of power engineering” (13DZ2260900), PhD Start-up Fund (1D-16-301-007) and (10-17-301-803) are greatly acknowledged.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Huang, LH., Tao, LR., Zheng, ZG. et al. Experimental research on bubble size distribution and vapor quality at the outlet of vertical narrow channel. Thermophys. Aeromech. 26, 237–254 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0869864319020082
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0869864319020082