Influence of Hydrodynamic Conditions on the Type and Area of Occurrence of Gas–Liquid Flow Patterns in the Flow through Open–Cell Foams

Abstract

This paper reports the results of a study concerned with air−water and air−oil two–phase flow pattern analysis in the channels with open–cell metal foams. The research was conducted in a horizontal channel with an internal diameter of 0.02 m and length of 2.61 m. The analysis applied three foams with pore density equal to 20, 30 and 40 PPI (pore per inch) with porosity, typical for industrial applications, changing in the range of 92%–94%. Plug flow, slug flow, stratified flow and annular flow were observed over the ranges of gas and liquid superficial velocities of 0.031–8.840 m/s and 0.006–0.119 m/s, respectively. Churn flow, which has not yet been observed in the flow through the open–cell foams, was also recorded. The type of flow patterns is primarily affected by the hydrodynamic characteristics of the flow, including fluid properties, but not by the geometric parameters of foams. Flow patterns in the channels packed with metal foams occur in different conditions from the ones recorded for empty channels so gas−liquid flow maps developed for empty channels cannot be used to predict analyzed flows. A new gas−liquid flow pattern map for a channel packed with metal foams with the porosity of 0.92–0.94 was developed. The map is valid for liquids with a density equal to or lower than the density of water and a viscosity several times greater than that of water.