CFD simulation of isothermal upward two-phase flow in a vertical tube of annular section

Abstract

This work presents a simulation of a vertical, upward, isothermal two-phase flow of air bubbles and water in an annular channel applying a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code. The simulation considers an Eulerian frame, with a two-fluid model, specific correlations for turbulence modeling, and bubble-induced turbulence effects. The work intends to assess the accuracy of the code by comparing the simulation results with experimental data obtained from the literature. The annular channel has an equivalent hydraulic diameter of 19.1 mm, where the outer pipe has an internal diameter of 38.1 mm, the inner cylinder 19.1 mm, and a total length of 1900 mm. The void fraction distribution, taken radially to the flow section, is the main parameter analyzed besides interfacial area concentration (IAC), interfacial gas velocity, and bubble diameters distribution. The numerical models applied in this work demonstrate satisfactory agreement with the experimental data but indicate the need for further improvement in the phase interaction models.