| The accurate prediction of two-phase flow using the two-fluid model requires closure relations for the interfacial area concentration ( ai), which can be provided by the interfacial area transport equation (IATE). Models have been developed for the IATE in straight pipe geometries. However, to analyze practical systems, it is important that the IATE accounts for flows in pipes with varying orientation that are interconnected via different flow restrictions. In view of this, the current study performs experiments to investigate the geometric effects of 90- degree vertical elbows in air-water two-phase flows and develops a one-group IATE applicable to vertical-upward-to-horizontal two-phase flows. The experimental facility consists of both vertical and horizontal sections constructed from 50.8 mm inner diameter acrylic pipes that are interconnected via 90-degree glass elbows. The elbows have a radius of curvature of Rc/D = 3 and are installed at L/D = 63 and 244.7 from the inlet. Experiments are performed to characterize the elbow-effect on both global and local two-phase flow parameters. A four-sensor conductivity probe is used to acquire detailed measurements of local two-phase flow parameters at thirteen axial locations along the test section in eight flow conditions that are within the bubbly flow regime at inlet. The measurements show that in bubbly flow conditions, the vertical-upward elbow causes a characteristic bimodal-type bubble distribution and the change in this distribution farther downstream of the elbow corresponds to the dissipation of the elbow-effects. In view of developing the IATE for vertical-upward to horizontal two-phase flows, predictive models for the dissipation length of the elbow-effect and closure relations for advection of gas-phase, pressure loss, and covariance of bubble interactions are developed. The new models are evaluated against the current experimental database. Overall, the model predictions agree with the data within ±7.1% for the two-phase flow in the elbow region and ±6.5% for two-phase flow in vertical-upward-to-horizontal sections. |
