Phase Split in T-Junction Mini Channel – A Numerical Study
-
Rupak Kumar
Abstract
Extracting natural gas and crude oil from deep wells requires a thorough understanding of multi phase flow phenomena. Designing of micro reactors employing different fluids requires similar understanding on a micro scale. Gas-Liquid two-phase flow mixing and separation commonly occur in such oil exploration and recovery on a macro scale and in case of micro fluid reactors in a micro scale. In this paper, two-phase flow mixing and separation is analysed for a horizontal channel with internal diameter 2.50 mm and a length of 202.5 mm. The numerical results obtained during two-phase flow mixing are validated with experimental results by employing image processing techniques. A numerical model is developed to study mixing and separation characteristics of slug flow regime. The separation efficiency of the T-junction partial separator for various superficial velocities, viscosity, surface tension and separation angles is analysed. The analysis will be useful for designing mini/micro reactors.
Funding statement: This work was supported by the Science and Engineering Research Board, (Grant/Award Number: ‘DST/SERB Grant No. YSS/2015/000029 ‘)
References
[1] Qian D, Lawal A. Numerical study on gas and liquid slugs for Taylor flow in a T-junction microchannel. Chem Eng Sci. 2006;61(23):7609–7625.10.1016/j.ces.2006.08.073Search in Google Scholar
[2] Venkatesan M, Das S, Balakrishnan A. Effect of tube diameter on two-phase flow patterns in mini tubes. Can J Chem Eng. 2010;88(6):936–944.10.1002/cjce.20410Search in Google Scholar
[3] Do Amaral C, Alves R, Da Silva M, Arruda L, Dorini L, Morales R, et al. Image processing techniques for high-speed videometry in horizontal two-phase slug flows. Flow Meas Instrum. 2013;33:257–264.10.1016/j.flowmeasinst.2013.07.006Search in Google Scholar
[4] Azzopardi B. Measurements and observations of the split of annular flow at a vertical T-junction. Int J Multiphase Flow. 1988;14(6):701–710.10.1016/0301-9322(88)90069-9Search in Google Scholar
[5] Chen SW, Ke H, Cai S, Zhao Y. Gas–liquid two-phase flow splitting at microchannel junctions with different branch angles. Chem Eng Sci. 2013;104:881–890.10.1016/j.ces.2013.10.013Search in Google Scholar
[6] Kim S, Lee S. Split of two-phase plug flow with elongated bubbles at a microscale branching T-junction. Chem Eng Sci. 2015;134:119–128.10.1016/j.ces.2015.04.020Search in Google Scholar
[7] Puspitasari D, Indarto P, Khasani. Kerosene-water separation in T-junction with orientation upward branch with a 60° angle: variation of diameter ratio. Am Inst Phys. 2016;040005.10.1063/1.4949293Search in Google Scholar
[8] Pandey S, Gupta A, Chakrabarti D, Das G, Ray S. Liquid–liquid two phase flow through a Horizontal T-Junction. Chem Eng Res Des. 2006;84(10):895–904.10.1205/cherd05061Search in Google Scholar
[9] Mohamed M, Soliman H, Sims G. Conditions for complete phase separation in an impacting tee junction at various inclinations of the outlet arms. Int J Multiphase Flow. 2012;47:66–72.10.1016/j.ijmultiphaseflow.2012.07.001Search in Google Scholar
[10] Azzi A, Al-Attiyah A, Qi L, Cheema W, Azzopardi B. Gas–liquid two-phase flow division at a micro-T-junction. Chem Eng Sci. 2010;65(13):3986–3993.10.1016/j.ces.2010.03.037Search in Google Scholar
[11] Elazhary A, Soliman H. Two-phase flow in a horizontal mini-size impacting T-junction with a rectangular cross-section. Int J Multiphase Flow. 2012;42:104–114.10.1016/j.ijmultiphaseflow.2012.02.004Search in Google Scholar
[12] Chen J, Wang S, Zhang X, Ke H, Li X. Experimental investigation of annular two-phase flow splitting at a micro impacting T-junction. Int J Heat Mass Transf. 2014;118:154–163.10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2017.10.114Search in Google Scholar
[13] Liu Y, Sun W, Wang S. Experimental investigation of two-phase slug flow distribution in horizontal multi-parallel micro-channels. Chem Eng Sci. 2017;158:267–276.10.1016/j.ces.2016.10.021Search in Google Scholar
[14] Mak C, Omebere-Iyari N, Azzopardi B. The split of vertical two-phase flow at a small diameter T-junction. Chem Eng Sci. 2006;61(19):6261–6272.10.1016/j.ces.2006.05.039Search in Google Scholar
[15] Chen J, Wang S, Zhang X, Ke H, Li X. Experimental investigation of two-phase slug flow splitting at a micro impacting T-junction. Int J Heat Mass Transf. 2015;81:939–948.10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2014.11.015Search in Google Scholar
© 2018 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Research Articles
- Sensitivity of Effluent Variables in Activated Sludge Process
- Optimization of Pressure-Swing Distillation by Evolutionary Techniques: Separation of Ethanol-Water and Acetonitrile-Water Mixtures
- Phase Split in T-Junction Mini Channel – A Numerical Study
- Simulation and Dynamic Optimization of an Industrial Naphtha Thermal Cracking Furnace Based on Time Variant Feeding Policy
- Mathematical Modeling and Optimization of Syngas Production Process: A Novel Axial Flow Spherical Packed Bed Tri-Reformer
- Estimator Based Inferential Control of an Ideal Quaternary Endothermic Reactive Distillation with Feed-Forward and Recurrent Neural Networks
Articles in the same Issue
- Research Articles
- Sensitivity of Effluent Variables in Activated Sludge Process
- Optimization of Pressure-Swing Distillation by Evolutionary Techniques: Separation of Ethanol-Water and Acetonitrile-Water Mixtures
- Phase Split in T-Junction Mini Channel – A Numerical Study
- Simulation and Dynamic Optimization of an Industrial Naphtha Thermal Cracking Furnace Based on Time Variant Feeding Policy
- Mathematical Modeling and Optimization of Syngas Production Process: A Novel Axial Flow Spherical Packed Bed Tri-Reformer
- Estimator Based Inferential Control of an Ideal Quaternary Endothermic Reactive Distillation with Feed-Forward and Recurrent Neural Networks
