Liquid and Gas Flow Behaviour in Highly Rotating Environment

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Budi Chandra ◽  
Kathy Simmons ◽  
Stephen Pickering ◽  
Marc Tittel
Keyword(s):  
Film Thickness ◽  
Liquid Film ◽  
Gas Flow ◽  
Flow Behavior ◽  
Thin Liquid Film ◽  
Air Flow ◽  
Chamber Wall ◽  
Experimental Program ◽  
Cfd Validation ◽  
Data Set

In a typical aero engine bearing chamber, oil is introduced to lubricate and cool the bearings as well as the bearing chamber wall. The flow of the oil in the bearing chamber is very complex due to the presence of various forces: gravity, windage, capillary, etc. These pose a great challenge for designers, in particular on how to effectively and efficiently scavenge the hot oil out of the bearing chamber. The University of Nottingham Technology Centre in Gas Turbine Transmission Systems is conducting an ongoing experimental program on liquid and gas flow behavior in the highly rotating environment typically found in a bearing chamber. This paper presents results from a study of the thin film on the wall of a generic bearing chamber consisting of an inner rotating shaft and outer stationary cylindrical wall. Thin liquid film behavior in a cylindrical chamber, subject to only gravity or together with the presence of shearing air flow is of interest in many industrial applications and processes. Measurements of film thickness were taken at various axial and angular locations, at various representative inlet flow rates, scavenge ratios and shaft rotational speeds. The experimental data provides insight on the behavior of thin liquid film as it travels down the inner chamber wall subject to both gravity and shearing air flow and provides a data set eminently suitable for CFD validation. The film thickness measurements are discussed in relation to previously published chamber residence volume data [1].

Three-Dimensional Shear Driven Thin Liquid Film in a Duct

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Lan ◽  
M. Friedrich ◽  
B. F. Armaly ◽  
J. A. Drallmeier
Keyword(s):  
Film Thickness ◽  
Liquid Film ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Volume Flow Rate ◽  
Incident Light ◽  
Thin Liquid Film ◽  
Air Flow ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Vof Model

Measurements and predictions of three-dimensional shear driven thin liquid films by turbulent air flow in a duct are reported. FLUENT - CFD code is used to perform the numerical simulations and the Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes and continuity equations along with the Volume of Fluid (VOF) model and the realizable k-ε turbulence model are implemented for this task. Film thickness and width are reported as a function of air flow rate, liquid film volume flow rate and surface tension, and a comparison with preliminary measured results is made. The thickness of the shear driven liquid film is measured using an interferometric technique that makes use of the phase shift between the reflection of incident light from the top and bottom surfaces of the thin liquid film. The spatial resolution is determined based on the spot size of the incident light, which for the current configuration of the transmitting optics is approximately 10 microns. The resulting fringe pattern is imaged using a high-speed imaging camera operating at 2000 frames per second. The technique has proved successful in measuring thickness between 100 and 900 microns in these shear driven films. Simulation results reveal that higher gas flow velocity decreases the film thickness but increases its width, while higher liquid film flow rate increases the film thickness and increases its width. Reasonable comparison appears to exist between preliminary measured and simulated results.

A Comparison of Oil-Water Flow and Oil-Gas Flow in Capillary Model

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yihe Zhang ◽  
Liming Dai
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Drop ◽  
Liquid Film ◽  
Gas Flow ◽  
Capillary Flow ◽  
Flow Behavior ◽  
Thin Liquid Film ◽  
Flow Process ◽  
Capillary Model ◽  
Oil Water ◽  
Oil Gas

A capillary model is employed to study the slug flow behavior in pore structure. Oil-water system and oil-gas system are investigated in the experiments. During the flow process, it is observed that the wetting phase liquid will generate a thin liquid film on the inner surface of the tube wall, and the liquid film plays an important role in capillary flow. At the meantime, the pressure drop across the tube is recorded during the experiment, result shows that the pressure drop magnitude is proportional to the oil slug length, while it is not significantly affected by the liquid injecting velocity.

Measurement of Liquid Film Thickness for Annular Two-Phase HFC134a Gas-Liquid Ethanol Flow in the Vertical Tube

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huacheng Zhang ◽  
Tutomo Hisano ◽  
Shoji Mori ◽  
Hiroyuki Yoshida
Keyword(s):  
Film Thickness ◽  
Liquid Film ◽  
Thin Liquid Film ◽  
Atmospheric Condition ◽  
Heating Surface ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Liquid Film Thickness ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Disturbance Waves ◽  
Analytical Approaches

Abstract Annular gas-liquid two-phase flows, such as the flows attached to the fuel rods of boiling water reactors (BWR), are a prevalent occurrence in industrial processes. At the gas-liquid interface of such flows, disturbance waves with diverse velocity and amplitude commonly arise. Since the thin liquid film between two successive disturbance waves leads to the dryout on the heating surface and limits the performance of the BWRs, complete knowledge of the disturbance waves is of great importance for the characterized properties of disturbance waves. The properties of disturbance waves have been studied by numerous researchers through extensive experimental and analytical approaches. However, most of the experimental data and analyses available in the literature are limited to the near atmospheric condition. In consideration of the properties of liquids and gases under atmospheric pressure which are distinct from those under BWR operating conditions (7 MPa, 285 °C), we employed the HFC134a gas and liquid ethanol whose properties at relatively low pressure and temperature (0.7 MPa, 40 °C) are similar to those of steam and water under BWR operating conditions as working fluids in a tubular test section having an inside diameter 5.0mm. Meanwhile, the liquid film thickness is measured by conductance probes. In this study, we report the liquid film thickness characteristics in a two-phase HFC134a gas-liquid ethanol flow. A simple model of the height of a disturbance wave was also proposed.

Deformation characteristics of ultra-thin liquid film considering temperature and film thickness dependence of surface tension

2011 ◽  
Vol 17 (5-7) ◽  
pp. 983-990 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroshige Matsuoka ◽  
Koji Oka ◽  
Yusuke Yamashita ◽  
Fumihiro Saeki ◽  
Shigehisa Fukui
Keyword(s):  
Surface Tension ◽  
Film Thickness ◽  
Liquid Film ◽  
Thin Liquid Film ◽  
Thickness Dependence ◽  
Deformation Characteristics

Study of Gas/Liquid Behavior Within an Aeroengine Bearing Chamber

2013 ◽  
Vol 135 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Budi Chandra ◽  
Kathy Simmons ◽  
Stephen Pickering ◽  
Steven H. Collicott ◽  
Nikolas Wiedemann
Keyword(s):  
Film Thickness ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Flow Behavior ◽  
Ambient Pressure ◽  
Current Model ◽  
Test Chamber ◽  
Experimental Program ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Rotating Shaft ◽  
Significant Difference

Aeroengine bearing chambers typically contain bearings, seals, shafts and static parts. Oil is introduced for lubrication and cooling and this creates a two phase flow environment that may contain droplets, mist, film, ligaments, froth or foam and liquid pools. Some regions of the chamber contain a highly rotating air flow such that there are zones where the flow is gravity dominated and zones where it is rotation dominated. The University of Nottingham Technology Centre in Gas Turbine Transmission Systems, is conducting an ongoing experimental program investigating liquid and gas flow behavior in a relevant highly rotating environment. Previously reported work by the UTC has investigated film thickness and residence volume within a simplified chamber consisting of outer cylindrical chamber, inner rotating shaft and cuboid off-take geometry (termed the generic deep sump). Recently, a more aeroengine relevant bearing chamber offtake geometry has been studied. This geometry is similar to one investigated at Purdue University and consists of a “sub-sump” region approached by curved surfaces linked to the bearing chamber. The test chamber consists of an outer, stationary cylinder with an inner rotating shaft. The rig runs at ambient pressure and the working fluid (water) is introduced either via a film generator on the chamber wall or through holes in the shaft. In addition to visual data (high speed and normal video), liquid residence volume within the chamber and film thickness were the two numerical comparators chosen. Data was obtained for a number of liquid supply rates, scavenge ratios and shaft rotation speeds. The data from the current model is compared to that from the earlier studies. The data shows that in contrast to the previously reported generic deep sump study, the residence volume of the curved wall deep sump (CWDS) designs is far less sensitive to shaft speed, liquid supply rate and scavenge ratio. The method of liquid supply only makes a significant difference at the lowest scavenge ratios. Residence volume data for the Nottingham CWDS is comparable, when appropriately scaled, to that for the Purdue design. The film thickness data shows that at the lower shaft speeds investigated the flow is gravity dominated whereas at higher shaft speeds shear dominates.

Simultaneous measurement of dynamic force and spatial thin film thickness between deformable and solid surfaces by integrated thin liquid film force apparatus

Soft Matter ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (44) ◽  
pp. 9105-9114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xurui Zhang ◽  
Plamen Tchoukov ◽  
Rogerio Manica ◽  
Louxiang Wang ◽  
Qingxia Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Film Thickness ◽  
Liquid Film ◽  
Simultaneous Measurement ◽  
Thin Liquid Film ◽  
Solid Surfaces ◽  
Dynamic Force ◽  
Thin Film Thickness

scholarly journals Modeling of Partially Wetting Liquid Film Using an Enhanced Thin Film Model for Aero-Engine Bearing Chamber Applications

2021 ◽  
Vol 143 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kuldeep Singh ◽  
Medhat Sharabi ◽  
Richard Jefferson-Loveday ◽  
Stephen Ambrose ◽  
Carol Eastwick ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Contact Angle ◽  
Film Thickness ◽  
Liquid Film ◽  
Thin Liquid Film ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Film Model ◽  
Thin Film Model ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Aero Engine

Abstract In the case of aero-engine, thin lubricating film servers dual purpose of lubrication and cooling. Prediction of dry patches or lubricant starved region in bearing or bearing chambers are required for safe operation of these components. In this work, thin liquid film flow is numerically investigated using the framework of the Eulerian thin film model (ETFM) for conditions, which exhibit partial wetting phenomenon. This model includes a parameter that requires adjustment to account for the dynamic contact angle. Two different experimental data sets have been used for comparisons against simulations, which cover a wide range of operating conditions including varying the flowrate, inclination angle, contact angle, and liquid–gas surface tension coefficient. A new expression for the model parameter has been proposed and calibrated based on the simulated cases. This is employed to predict film thickness on a bearing chamber which is subjected to a complex multiphase flow. From this study, it is observed that the proposed approach shows good quantitative comparisons of the film thickness of flow down an inclined plate and for the representative bearing chamber. A comparison of model predictions with and without wetting and drying capabilities is also presented on the bearing chamber for shaft speed in the range of 2500 RPM to 10,000 RPM and flowrate in the range of 0.5 liter per minute (LPM) to 2.5 LPM.

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