An Experimental Study on the Local Void Fraction Measurements in Large-Diameter Vertical Pipes using Optical Fiber Probes

Abstract

This thesis contains the details of an experimental study on the local void fraction measurements in large-diameter vertical pipes using optical fiber probes. The experiments were conducted in vertical transparent acrylic pipe of a 20-cm diameter. An experimental test facility used for performing of experiments, was designed as a low-pressure air-water loop, which can operate in either a natural circulation mode or a forced circulation mode. Radial void fraction profiles were measured using an optical fiber probe. An average cross-sectional void fraction was calculated by integration of the data obtained by the optical fiber probe. The average void fraction was also calculated using two-phase pressure-drop measurements . The results were compared and the resulting good accuracy of the optical fiber probe was determined. The flow regime results were plotted in terms of superficial gas and liquid velocities using flow regime maps of several researchers. Absence of the slug flow regime in large-diameter pipes was observed during the experiments. The data were correlated using the drift-flux model. A near unity distribution parameter showed that nearly uniform radial distribution of the void fraction dominates in two-phase flow through large-diameter vertical pipes.