| Two phase flow systems have enhanced heat transfer and reduced mass compared with single phase systems. For these reasons, two phase flow systems are being designed for space application where high performance is especially important. However, the absence of gravity affects two phase flow behavior resulting in interfacial geometries which are different than those observed in 1-g. A method for predicting interface behavior is important to understanding 0-g flow regime, pressure drop and heat transfer processes. A method is developed for predicting interfacial wave characteristics in 0-g shear driven annular flow cylindrical geometry conditions. In addition to shear effects the model includes both axial and azimuthal surface tension effects which are important for the thick films observable under 0-g conditions. A single equation predicts wavelength and growth rates for both kinematic and dynamic waves. 0-g two phase freon data are compared with the theory and found to match predictions over a range of test cases. |
