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Direct numerical simulation of a turbulent core-annular flow with water-lubricated high viscosity oil in a vertical pipe

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 June 2018

Kiyoung Kim  and
Haecheon Choi Open the ORCID record for Haecheon Choi [Opens in a new window]
Kiyoung Kim
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
Haecheon Choi*
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea Institute of Advanced Machines and Design, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
*
†Email address for correspondence: [email protected]
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Abstract

The characteristics of a turbulent core-annular flow with water-lubricated high viscosity oil in a vertical pipe are investigated using direct numerical simulation, in conjunction with a level-set method to track the phase interface between oil and water. At a given mean wall friction ($Re_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}}=u_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}}R/\unicode[STIX]{x1D708}_{w}=720$, where $u_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}}$ is the friction velocity, $R$ is the pipe radius and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D708}_{w}$ is the kinematic viscosity of water), the total volume flow rate of a core-annular flow is similar to that of a turbulent single-phase pipe flow of water, indicating that water lubrication is an effective tool to transport high viscosity oil in a pipe. The high viscosity oil flow in the core region is almost a plug flow due to its high viscosity, and the water flow in the annular region is turbulent except for the case of large oil volume fraction (e.g. 0.91 in the present study). With decreasing oil volume fraction, the mean velocity profile in the annulus becomes more like that of turbulent pipe flow, but the streamwise evolution of vortical structures is obstructed by the phase interface wave. In a reference frame moving with the core velocity, water is observed to be trapped inside the wave valley in the annulus, and only a small amount of water runs through the wave crest. The phase interface of the core-annular flow consists of different streamwise and azimuthal wavenumber components for different oil holdups. The azimuthal wavenumber spectra of the phase interface amplitude have largest power at the smallest wavenumber whose corresponding wavelength is the pipe circumference, while the streamwise wavenumber having the largest power decreases with decreasing oil volume fraction. The overall convection velocity of the phase interface is slightly lower than the core velocity. Finally, we suggest a predictive oil holdup model by defining the displacement thickness in the annulus and considering the boundary layer characteristics of water flow. This model predicts the variation of the oil holdup with the superficial velocity ratio very well.

JFM classification

Multiphase and Particle-laden Flows: Core-annular flow Flow Control: Drag reduction Turbulent Flows: Turbulent Flows
Type
JFM Papers
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 849 , 25 August 2018 , pp. 419 - 447
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Copyright
© 2018 Cambridge University Press 

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