Numerical simulation of gas-liquid two-phase flow in a disc pump under different inlet bubble diameters

Abstract

Abstract Visual investigation and numerical simulation were utilized to analyze the internal flow pattern transformation and bubble diameter variation of a gas-liquid two-phase flow disc pump. The results reveal that increasing the intake volume fraction (IGVF) from 1.12% to 27.67% changes the flow pattern in the suction chamber from bubbly to agglomerate bubbly, slug flow, and separated flow. Due to the particularity of the impeller structure of the disc pump, the blades in the leaf area of the front and rear cover plates play a barrier role. The gas phase gathers most violently at the edge of the blade in the leaf area, while the flow channel in the middle leafless area is wider and has higher permeability. At 1500r/min and 7.11% inlet volume void fraction, the local void fraction extreme value of the front edge of the blade in the blade area of the front cover plate increases to three times the initial void fraction, while the void fraction extreme value of the middle section of the bladeless area decreases to two-thirds of the initial void fraction. This research can be used to analyze the gas phase distribution and migration law in the disc pump impeller.