Measurement of Friction Pressure Drops in Vertical Slurry and Bubbly Flows

Abstract

A Three Component Flow Facility (TCFF) was used to study friction pressure drops in vertical two component flows of both air bubbles in water and polyester particle-water mixtures. Friction factors of up to two orders in magnitude higher than those at zero volume fraction were observed for both bubbly and slurry flows. This deviation is shown to decrease with increased liquid Reynolds number. Bubbly and slurry flow friction factors were comparably large in magnitude and displayed the same decreasing trend as a function of Reynolds number. The two phase friction multiplier for bubbly flow was shown to attain values up to one order of magnitude higher than the prediction given by Lockhart and Martinelli. Two phase multiplier data is presented for the dispersed flow regime.