Investigating the Effect of Air Volume Fraction on the Velocity Distributions of Air-Water flow in a Pipe Separator

Abstract

A stereoscopic particle image velocimetry velocity field measurement technique was used to investigate the effect of air volume fraction on the velocity distribution of air-water flow in a pipe separator. The experiment was performed in a 30 mm ID three phase pipe separator at room temperature and atmospheric outlet pressure with air and water used as test fluids. Velocity distributions of air-water flow are measured at three different axial positions for six different air volume fractions. The experimental results revealed that the flow patterns of the tangential velocity and radial velocity are unaffected by the changes in the air volume fraction. However, their magnitudes are observed to be inversely proportional to air volume fraction. The effect of air volume fraction is mostly observed at the axial velocity profile at Z= 295 mm, where an increase in air volume fraction leads to more surface area occupied by the separated air