Development of Models Correlating Vibration Excitation Forces to Dynamic Characteristics of Two-Phase Flow in a Tube Bundle

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.

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.


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.


Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 3346
Author(s):  
Yuan-Shiang Tsai ◽  
Der-Chang Lo

The air-water two-phase flow model is developed to study the transformation of monochromatic waves passing over the submerged structure. The level set method is employed to describe the motion of the interface while the effect of the immersed object on the fluid is resolved using the ghost-cell immersed boundary method. The computational domain integrated with the air-water and fluid-solid phases allows the use of uniform Cartesian grids. The model simulates the wave generation, wave decomposition over a submerged trapezoidal breakwater, and the formation of the vortices as well as the drag and lift forces caused by the surface waves over three different configurations of the submerged structures. The numerical results show the capability of the present model to accurately track the deformation of the free surface. In addition, the variation of the drag and lift forces depend on the wavelength and wave induced vortices around the submerged object. Hence, the study observes that the triangular structure experiences the relatively small wave force.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2088 (1) ◽  
pp. 012031
Author(s):  
Hossein Abdi ◽  
O I Melikhov ◽  
V I Melikhov

Abstract Experiments on two-phase flow across an in-line tube bundle are analyzed with the STEG code, which has been developed for modeling thermal-hydraulic processes in a horizontal steam generator (SG). An adiabatic, vertical two-phase flows of air-water across horizontal in-line, 5 x 20 rod bundles, with a pitch-to-diameter ratio P/D=1.3 are considered, the mass velocity is varied in the range 27 - 818 kg/m2s. The calculated values of void fraction in the tube bundle are compared with the experimental ones measured by a gamma densitometer. A reasonable agreement between the calculations and the experimental data is obtained.


1997 ◽  
Vol 119 (3) ◽  
pp. 457-463 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Y. Lian ◽  
G. Noghrehkar ◽  
A. M. C. Chan ◽  
M. Kawaji

The effects of local two-phase flow parameters on the vibrational behavior of tubes have been studied in an in-line 5 × 20 tube bundle subjected to air-water cross-flow. One of the tubes was flexibly mounted and instrumented for vibration measurement and the others were rigid. Parameters obtained include local void fraction fluctuations, RMS amplitude of void fraction fluctuations, void fraction distributions across the tube bundle, flow regimes based on probability density function of void fraction signals, damping ratio, and tube vibration response as a function of mass flux, void fraction and dynamic pressure. Damping and tube vibration amplitude in two-phase flow have been found to be closely related to the RMS amplitudes of the local void fraction fluctuations and dynamic pressure fluctuations, respectively.


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.


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

Two-phase flow in power plant steam generators can induce tube vibrations, which may cause fretting-wear and even fatigue cracks. It is therefore important to understand the relevant two-phase flow-induced vibration mechanisms. Fluidelastic instabilities in cross-flow are known to cause the most severe vibration response in the U-bend region of steam generators. This paper presents test results of the vibration of a normal triangular tube bundle subjected to air-water cross-flow. The test section presents 31 flexible tubes. The pitch-to-diameter ratio of the bundle is 1.5, and the tube diameter is 38 mm. Tubes were flexible in the lift direction. Seven tubes were instrumented with strain gauges to measure their displacements. A broad range of void fractions (from 10% to 90%) and fluid velocities (up to 13 m/s) were tested. Fluidelastic instabilities were observed for void fractions between 10% and 60%. Periodic fluid forces were also observed. The results are compared with those obtained with the rotated triangular tube bundle, showing that the normal triangular configuration is more stable than the rotated triangular configuration.


Author(s):  
In-Cheol Chu ◽  
Heung June Chung ◽  
Chang Hee Lee ◽  
Hyung Hyun Byun ◽  
Moo Yong Kim

In the present study, a series of experiments have been performed to investigate a fluid-elastic instability of a nuclear steam generator U-tube bundle in an air-water two-phase flow condition. A total of 39 U-tubes are arranged in a rotated square array with a pitch-to-diameter ratio of 1.633. The diameter and other geometrical parameters of U-bend region are the same to those of an actual steam generator, but the vertical length of U-tubes are reduced to 2-span in contrast to 9-span of an actual steam generator. The following parameters were experimentally measured to evaluate a fluid-elastic instability of U-tube bundles in a two-phase flow: a general tube vibration response, a critical gap velocity, a damping ratio and a hydrodynamic mass. Based on the experimental measurements, the instability factor, K, of Connors’ relation was preliminary assessed with some assumptions on the velocity and density profiles of the two-phase flow.


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