Interfacial area of bubbly flow in a relatively large diameter pipe

This paper presents the local measurement results of interfacial parameters in a vertical air-water upward two-phase bubbly flow. The measured parameters are local time-averaged void fraction, interfacial area concentration, bubble Sauter mean diameter, and interfacial velocity. The measurements are performed in a 101.6-mm inner diameter pipe by four-sensor conductivity probes. These data are further used to evaluate the one-dimensional, steady state, one-group interfacial area transport equation (IATE), which can serve as one of the constitutive relations for the two-fluid model. The agreement between the predictions from the transport equation and the experimental measurements is reasonably good. The resulting deviation is carefully examined. As a conclusion, the two-group IATE is recommended for general gas-liquid two-phase flow in various flow regimes. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.