Correlation Between Vibration Excitation Forces and the Dynamic Characteristics of Two-Phase Cross Flow in a Rotated-Triangular Tube Bundle

2008 ◽  
Vol 130 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Zhang ◽  
M. J. Pettigrew ◽  
N. W. Mureithi

Two-phase cross flow exists in many shell-and-tube heat exchangers. Flow-induced vibration excitation forces can cause tube motion that will result in long-term fretting wear or fatigue. Detailed flow and vibration excitation force measurements in tube bundles subjected to two-phase cross flow are required to understand the underlying vibration excitation mechanisms. Some of this work has already been done. The distributions of both void fraction and bubble velocity in rotated-triangular tube bundles were obtained. Somewhat unexpected but significant quasiperiodic forces in both the drag and lift directions were measured. The present work aims at understanding the nature of such unexpected drag and lift quasiperiodic forces. An experimental program was undertaken with a rotated-triangular array of cylinders subjected to air/water flow to simulate two-phase mixtures. Fiber-optic probes were developed to measure local void fraction. Both the dynamic lift and drag forces were measured with a strain gage instrumented cylinder. The investigation showed that the quasiperiodic drag and lift forces are generated by different mechanisms that have not been previously observed. The quasiperiodic drag forces appear related to the momentum flux fluctuations in the main flow path between the cylinders. The quasiperiodic lift forces, on the other hand, are mostly correlated to oscillations in the wake of the cylinders. The quasiperiodic lift forces are related to local void fraction measurements in the unsteady wake area between upstream and downstream cylinders. The quasiperiodic drag forces correlate well with similar measurements in the main flow stream between cylinders.

Author(s):  
C. Zhang ◽  
M. J. Pettigrew ◽  
N. W. Mureithi

Two-phase cross flow exists in many shell-and-tube heat exchangers. Flow-induced vibration excitation forces can cause tube motion that will result in long-term fretting-wear or fatigue. Detailed flow and vibration excitation force measurements in tube bundles subjected to two-phase cross flow are required to understand the underlying vibration excitation mechanisms. Some of this work has already been done. The distributions of both void fraction and bubble velocity in rotated-triangular tube bundles were obtained. Somewhat unexpected but significant quasi-periodic forces in both the drag and lift directions were measured. The present work aims at understanding the nature of such unexpected drag and lift quasi-periodic forces. An experimental program was undertaken with a rotated-triangular array of cylinders subjected to air/water flow to simulate two-phase mixtures. Fiber-optic probes were developed to measure local void fraction. Both the dynamic lift and drag forces were measured with a strain gage instrumented cylinder. The investigation showed that the quasi-periodic drag and lift forces are generated by different mechanisms that have not been observed so far. The quasi-periodic drag forces appear related to the momentum flux fluctuations in the main flow path between the cylinders. The quasi-periodic lift forces, on the other hand, are mostly correlated to oscillations in the wake of the cylinders. The relationships between the lift or drag forces and the dynamic characteristics of two-phase flow are established through fluid mechanics momentum equations. The quasi-periodic lift forces are related to local void fraction measurements in the unsteady wake area between upstream and downstream cylinders. The quasi-periodic drag forces correlate well with similar measurements in the main flow stream between cylinders.


2009 ◽  
Vol 131 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Zhang ◽  
M. J. Pettigrew ◽  
N. W. Mureithi

Two-phase cross flow exists in many shell-and-tube heat exchangers. Flow-induced vibration excitation forces can cause tube motion that will result in long-term fretting-wear or fatigue. Detailed vibration excitation force measurements in tube bundles subjected to two-phase cross flow are required to understand the underlying vibration excitation mechanisms. Some of this work has already been done. Somewhat unexpected but significant quasiperiodic forces in both the drag and lift directions were measured. These forces are generally larger in the drag direction. However, the excitation force frequency is relatively low (i.e., 3–6 Hz) and not directly dependent on flow velocity in the drag direction. On the other hand, much higher frequencies (up to 16 Hz) were observed in the lift direction at the higher flow velocities. The frequency appears directly related to flow velocity in the lift direction. The present work aims at (1) providing further evidence of the quasiperiodic lift force mechanism, (2) determining the effect of cylinder position on such quasiperiodic drag and lift forces, and (3) verifying the existence of quasiperiodic drag and lift forces in a more realistic larger tube array. The program was carried out with two rotated triangular tube arrays of different width subjected to air/water flow to simulate two-phase mixtures from liquid to 95% void fraction. Both the dynamic lift and drag forces were measured with strain gauge instrumented cylinders.


Author(s):  
C. Zhang ◽  
M. J. Pettigrew ◽  
N. W. Mureithi

Recent experiments reveal that somewhat unexpected but significant quasi-periodic forces in both the drag and lift directions existed in a rotated triangular tube bundle subjected to two-phase cross flow. The quasi-periodic drag forces appear to be related to the momentum flux fluctuations in the main flow path between the cylinders. The quasi-periodic lift forces, on the other hand, are mostly correlated to the oscillation in the wake of the cylinders. The objective of this work is to develop semi-analytical models for correlating vibration excitation forces to dynamic characteristics of two-phase flow in a rotated triangular tube bundle and understanding the nature of vibration excitation forces. The relationships between the lift or drag forces and the dynamic characteristics of two-phase flow are established through fluid mechanics momentum equations. A model has been developed to correlate the void fraction fluctuation in the main flow path and the dynamic drag forces. A second model has been developed for correlating the oscillation in the wake of the cylinders and the dynamic lift forces. Although still preliminary, each model can predict the corresponding forces relatively well.


1989 ◽  
Vol 111 (4) ◽  
pp. 488-500 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. E. Taylor ◽  
I. G. Currie ◽  
M. J. Pettigrew ◽  
B. S. Kim

An extensive experimental program was carried out to study the vibration behavior of tube bundles subjected to two-phase cross-flow. Turbulence-induced excitation is discussed in Part 3 of this series of three papers. Random vibration response to turbulence-induced excitation is a significant vibration mechanism in heat exchanger tube bundles subjected to two-phase cross-flow. The vibration responses of centrally located tubes in four tube bundle configurations subjected to air-water cross-flow was measured. The results are presented in the form of a normalized forced-excitation spectrum which can be used as a design guideline over a void fraction range from 25 percent to 99 percent and over a practical range of flow rates. The data are further analyzed to determine the dependence of the vibration response on Reynolds number, void fraction and frequency. Measurements taken on a single tube, a row of tubes and on tubes having varying end conditions were used to assist in interpreting the bundle data.


Author(s):  
C. Zhang ◽  
M. J. Pettigrew ◽  
N. W. Mureithi

Two-phase cross flow exists in many shell-and-tube heat exchangers. Flow-induced vibration excitation forces can cause tube motion that will result in long-term fretting-wear or fatigue. Detailed vibration excitation force measurements in tube bundles subjected to two-phase cross flow are required to understand the underlying vibration excitation mechanisms. An experimental program was undertaken with a rotated-triangular array of cylinders subjected to air/water flow to simulate two-phase mixtures over a broad range of void fraction and mass fluxes. Both the dynamic lift and drag forces were measured with strain gage instrumented cylinders. The experiments revealed somewhat unexpected but significant quasi-periodic forces in both the drag and lift directions. The periodic forces appeared well correlated along the cylinder with the drag force somewhat better correlated than the lift forces. The periodic forces are also dependent on the position of the cylinder within the bundle.


2006 ◽  
Vol 129 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Zhang ◽  
M. J. Pettigrew ◽  
N. W. Mureithi

Two-phase cross flow exists in many shell-and-tube heat exchangers. Flow-induced vibration excitation forces can cause tube motion that will result in long-term fretting-wear or fatigue. Detailed vibration excitation force measurements in tube bundles subjected to two-phase cross flow are required to understand the underlying vibration excitation mechanisms. An experimental program was undertaken with a rotated-triangular array of cylinders subjected to air/water flow to simulate two-phase mixtures over a broad range of void fraction and mass fluxes. Both the dynamic lift and drag forces were measured with strain gage instrumented cylinders. The experiments revealed somewhat unexpected but significant quasi-periodic forces in both the drag and lift directions. The periodic forces appeared well correlated along the cylinder with the drag force somewhat better correlated than the lift forces. The periodic forces are also dependent on the position of the cylinder within the bundle.


Author(s):  
E. S. Perrot ◽  
N. W. Mureithi ◽  
M. J. Pettigrew ◽  
G. Ricciardi

This paper presents test results of vibration forces in a normal triangular tube bundle subjected to air-water cross-flow. The dynamic lift and drag forces were measured with strain gage instrumented cylinders. The array has a pitch-to-diameter ratio of 1.5, and the tube diameter is 38 mm. A wide range of void fraction and fluid velocities were tested. The experiments revealed significant forces in both the drag and lift directions. Constant frequency and quasi-periodic fluid forces were found in addition to random excitation. These forces were analyzed and characterized to understand their origins. The forces were found to be dependent on the position of the cylinder within the bundle. The results are compared with those obtained with flexible cylinders in the same tube bundle and to those for a rotated triangular tube bundle. These comparisons reveal the influence of quasi-periodic forces on tube motions.


Author(s):  
H. Senez ◽  
N. W. Mureithi ◽  
M. J. Pettigrew

Two-phase cross flow exists in many shell-and-tube heat exchangers. Flow-induced vibration excitation forces can cause tube motion that will result in long-term fretting wear or fatigue. Detailed flow and vibration excitation force measurements in tube bundles subjected to two-phase cross flow are required to understand the underlying vibration excitation mechanisms. Studies on this subject have already been done, providing results on flow regimes, fluidelastic instabilities, and turbulence-induced vibration. The spectrum of turbulence-induced forces has usually been expected to be similar to that in single-phase flow. However, a recent study, using tubes with a diameter larger than that in a real steam generator, showed the existence of significant quasi-periodic forces in two-phase flow. An experimental program was undertaken with a rotated-triangular array of cylinders subjected to air-water cross-flow, to simulate two-phase mixtures. The tube bundle here has the same geometry as that of a real steam generator. The quasi-periodic forces have now also been observed in this tube bundle. The present work aims to understand turbulence-induced forces acting on the tube bundle, providing results on drag and lift force spectra and their behaviour according to flow parameters, and describing their correlations. Detailed experimental test results are presented in this paper. Comparison is also made with previous measurements with larger diameter tubes. The present results suggest that quasi-periodic fluid forces are not uncommon in tube arrays subjected to two-phase cross-flow.


1989 ◽  
Vol 111 (4) ◽  
pp. 478-487 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Pettigrew ◽  
J. H. Tromp ◽  
C. E. Taylor ◽  
B. S. Kim

An extensive experimental program was carried out to study the vibration behavior of tube bundles subjected to two-phase cross-flow. Fluid-elastic instability is discussed in Part 2 of this series of three papers. Four tube bundle configurations were subjected to increasing flow up to the onset of fluid-elastic instability. The tests were done on bundles with all-flexible tubes and on bundles with one flexible tube surrounded by rigid tubes. Fluid-elastic instabilities have been observed for all tube bundles and all flow conditions. The critical flow velocity for fluid-elastic instability is significantly lower for the all-flexible tube bundles. The fluid-elastic instability behavior is different for intermittent flows than for continuous flow regimes such as bubbly or froth flows. For continuous flows, the observed instabilities satisfy the relationship V/fd = K(2πζm/ρd2)0.5 in which the minimum instability factor K was found to be around 4 for bundles of p/d = 1.47 and significantly less for p/d = 1.32. Design guidelines are recommended to avoid fluid-elastic instabilities in two-phase cross-flows.


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