Yuichi Murai

Two-way coupling of Eulerian–Lagrangian model for dispersed multiphase flows using filtering functions

Abstract Eulerian–Lagrangian approaches for dispersed multiphase flows can simulate detailed flow structures with a much higher spatial resolution than the Eulerian–Eulerian approaches. However, there are still unsolved problems regarding the calculation method for accurate two-way interaction, especially on the numerical instability due to the dispersion migration through discrete computational grids. Inadequate solvers sometimes produce false velocity fluctuation which makes the simulation unstable. In this paper, a new calculation method for dispersion-to-continuous phase interaction, which is accompanied by spherical dispersion migration, is proposed. The basic principle of the method is the introduction of Lagrangian filtering functions which convert discrete dispersion volume fractions to a spatially differentiable distribution. The performance of linear, Gaussian and sinewave filtering functions is examined by simple benchmark tests and applied to the simulation of dispersion-generated fluctuation. Using the present method, three-dimensional continuous phase flow structures induced by rising spherical bubbles and/or settling solid particles are demonstrated.

Particle tracking velocimetry applied to estimate the pressure field around a Savonius turbine

Particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) is applied to flows around a Savonius turbine. The velocity vector field measured with PTV is utilized to estimate the pressure field around the turbine, as well as to evaluate the torque performance. The main objective of the work is the establishment of the pressure estimation scheme required to discuss the turbine performance. First, the PTV data are interpolated on a regular grid with a fourth-order ellipsoidal differential equation to generate velocity vectors satisfying the third-order spatio-temporal continuity both in time and space. Second, the phase-averaged velocity vector information with respect to the turbine angle is substituted into three different types of pressure-estimating equations, i.e. the Poisson equation, the Navier–Stokes equation and the sub-grid scale model of turbulence. The results obtained based on the Navier–Stokes equation are compared with those based on the Poisson equation, and have shown several merits in employing the Navier–Stokes-based method for the PTV measurement. The method is applied to a rotating turbine with the tip-speed ratio of 0.5 to find the relationship between torque behaviour and flow structure in a phase-averaged sense. We have found that a flow attached to the convex surface of the blades induces low-pressure regions to drive the turbine, namely, the lift force helps the turbine blades to rotate even when the drag force is insufficient. Secondary mechanisms of torque generation are also discussed.

Frictional drag reduction in bubbly Couette–Taylor flow

Frictional drag reduction due to the presence of small bubbles is investigated experimentally using a Couette–Taylor flow system; i.e., shear flow between concentric cylinders. Torque and bubble behavior are measured as a function of Reynolds number up to Re=5000 while air bubbles are injected constantly and rise through an array of vortical cells. Silicone oil is used to avoid the uncertain interfacial property of bubbles and to produce nearly monosized bubble distributions. The effect of drag reduction on sensitivity and power gain are assessed. The sensitivity exceeds unity at Re<2000, proving that the effect of the reduction in drag is greater than that of the reduction in mixture density. This is due to the accumulation of bubbles toward the rotating inner cylinder, which is little affected by turbulence. The power gain, which is defined by the power saving from the drag reduction per the pumping power of bubble injection, has a maximum value of O(10) at higher Re numbers around 2500. An image proces...

Bubble behavior in a vertical Taylor-Couette flow

Bubble distributions organized in a vertical Taylor-Couette flow are experimentally investigated. Modification of shear stress due to bubbles is measured with a torque sensor installed on the rotating inner cylinder. The wall shear stress decreases as bubbles are injected in all the tested range of Re from 600 to 4500. The drag reduction ratio per void fraction measured in the present experiment, which indicates net gain of the drag reduction, has been evaluated. The gain was more than unity for Re 4000. The maximum gain achieved was around 10 at Re = 600, at which point the bubbles dispersed widely on the inner cylinder surface and effectively restrict momentum exchange of fluid between the two walls. The expansion of Taylor vortices in the vertical direction by the presence of bubbles was confirmed by flow visualization including particle tracking velocimetry. Such bubble behaviours interacting with Taylor vortices are discussed in detail in this paper.

PIV measurement of particle motion in spiral gas-solid two-phase flow

Abstract With a concise review on some basic and novel algorithms and methods for the techniques of particle-imaging velocimetry (PIV), the paper reports an application of the PIV techniques to the investigation of particle motion in a gas–solid two-phase spiral flow in a horizontal tube. Axial velocities of the transported particles are obtained. Some important features of particle motion governing high transportation efficiency of the spiral flow are revealed by investigating probability density distribution of particle locations in a pipe cross-section.

Numerical Study of the Three-Dimensional Structure of a Bubble Plume

The whole behavior and the micro scale flow characteristics of a three-dimensional bubble plume are investigated numerically. The bubble plume drives liquid convection in a tank due to strong local two-phase interaction so that the Eulerian-Lagrangian model is formulated with emphasis on the translational motions of the bubble. In this model, each bubble motion is tracked in a bubbly mixture which is treated as a continuum

Visualization of transient interfacial waves induced by spin-up of two immiscible fluid layers

Interfacial waves of two immiscible layers in a spin-up container were investigated using experimental visualization. While the interface near the central part rose up, instability waves propagated in an azimuthal direction on the interface. These waves were mainly caused by Kelvin–Helmholtz instability for the velocity difference between two layers during spin-up, but had complicated transient characteristics owing to the rotation in a closed system. We visualized the structure of the interfacial waves by the use of three types of optical characteristics of the interface. Image processing provided the detailed factors of the interfacial waves that were classified in four life stages from their generation to disappearance. The initial generation process involved many frequency modes due to a large velocity difference, and then a low mode stood out during the growth, and disappeared with an ellipsoidal sloshing mode to achieve the rigid rotation in both layers.Graphical Abstract

Development of an ultrasonic void fraction profiler

A method for measuring the spatial distribution of the void fraction in bubbly two-phase flow is presented. The method is referred to as ultrasonic void fraction profiling since it is based on the signal processing of an ultrasonic pulse scattering on a bubble interface. The method is established using two processes for the ultrasonic sensing of bubbles. One approach is to detect the bubble interface along a measurement line, i.e. the path of the ultrasonic pulse in the liquid. The interface is captured using two types of signal-processing schemes: the echo intensity method and the Doppler method. The other approach is to reconstruct the void fraction profile from the number of bubble interfaces. A theoretical formula for the estimation is proposed by considering ultrasonic reflection in a suspension of bubbles. The validity of the formula is examined with theoretical and numerical bases. Finally, the method developed here is applied to four flow configurations for the demonstration, in which the void fraction profile governs the modulation of liquid flow field.

QUADRANT ANALYSIS OF BUBBLE INDUCED VELOCITY FLUCTUATIONS IN A TRANSITIONAL BOUNDARY LAYER

Our previous study showed that the frictional drag decreases with increasing void fraction at Re >1300, while it increases at Re < 1000. Decomposition of the Reynolds shear stress also implied that bubbles induce isotropy of turbulence. In order to confirm our previous analysis and to further investigate flow fields in the vicinity of bubbles, we analyze velocity fluctuations on the quadrant space in the streamwise and transverse directions (u′-v′ plane). Here, we focus on two specific Reynolds numbers (at Re ≈ 900 and ≈ 1410, which are close to the laminar-to-turbulent transition regime) and discuss bubble effects on sweep (u′ > 0, v′ v′ < 0) and ejection (u′ < 0, v′ > 0) events as a function of the Reynolds number. We also illustrate velocity fluctuations in the vicinity of an individual bubble and a swarm of bubbles on the u′-v′ coordinates. The results show that a bubble swarm suppresses the velocity fluctuations at Re ≈1410.

Backlight imaging tomography for gas–liquid two-phase flow in a helically coiled tube

Air–water two-phase flow in a helically coiled tube is investigated using backlight imaging tomography to elucidate the effect of centrifugal acceleration on phase distribution and interfacial structure. Superficial velocities up to 6 m s−1 in 20 mm diameter tube are tested. We focused on a slug flow regime in which centrifugal acceleration dominates the flow. The interfacial structure is visualized in six directions using a set of originally designed mirror-mounted water jackets. A temporal expansion image is made from line-sampled images and is used to reconstruct phase distribution through a linear backward projection algorithm. The present topography measurement showed various new features of gas–liquid two-phase flow in a helically coiled tube, such as a wall-covering effect in the case of high superficial velocity.