Swirling Gas–Liquid Two-Phase Flow—Experiment and Modeling Part II: Turbulent Quantities and Core Stability

Abstract

In Part I of this two-part paper on swirling gas–liquid two-phase flow, correlations have been developed for the continuous liquid-phase velocity field under swirling conditions, such as that occurring in the lower part of the Gas–Liquid Cylindrical Cyclone (GLCC©1) compact separator. The developed correlations, including the axial, tangential, and radial velocity distributions, are applicable for swirling flow in both cyclones and pipe flow. The first objective of this paper is to extend the study of Part I by developing correlations for the turbulent quantities of the continuous liquid phase, including the turbulent kinetic energy and its dissipation rate and Reynolds shear stresses. The second objective is to study experimentally and theoretically two-phase swirling flow gas-core characteristics and stability. The first objective has been met utilizing local LDV measurements acquired for swirling flow. The developed turbulent quantities correlations have been tested against data from other studies, showing good agreement. For the second objective, experimental data have been acquired under swirling two-phase flow conditions. A model for the prediction of the gas-core diameter and stability in swirling flow field has been developed, based on the turbulent kinetic energy behavior predicted by the developed correlations. Good agreement is observed between the model predictions and the data.