Local wall shear stress and interface behavior of adiabatic air-water flows in rectangular ducts

Abstract

An experiment was designed and built to study vertical annular air-water flows in a channel with a rectangular cross section with no heat transfer. Flush-wire electrical conductivity probes were theoretically analyzed to demonstrate their potential to accurately measure liquid film thickness in the experiment with high temporal and spatial resolution. Flush-wire probes were then successfully implemented and film thickness measurements obtained. From theoretical analysis, the suitability of micromachined hot film and floating element wall shear stress sensors for measurements of wall shear stress in the annular flow was investigated. A microfabricated hot film wall shear stress sensor was subsequently packaged and installed in the experiment, where it provided wall shear stress measurements with high temporal and spatial resolution. After the implementation of these new measurement techniques, a large suite of test cases was run and data for film thickness and wall shear stress acquired. A statistical analysis of the film thickness data indicates the existence of two distinct wave regimes, ripple waves and disturbance waves, within the annular flow regime. Spectral decomposition of film thickness and wall shear stress data demonstrates the existence of dominant frequencies in the wave spectrum and an exponential decay of wave amplitudes at high frequencies indicative of a force balance between capillary and momentum forces. Wave velocities were determined from cross correlations which again provided evidence of different types of waves each with different wave velocities and spatial extensions. A semi-analytical model for wave velocities as a function of superficial Reynolds numbers was validated and improved. The improved model gives an accurate prediction for wave velocities and is based on physical arguments representing the appropriate length scales in annular flow. The experimental results and data analysis provide a new perspective of annular two-phase flows in a channel with a rectangular cross section.