(néant) / Doctorat en Sciences de l'ingénieur / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

A novel technique to study the two-phase flow field around an asymmetric diaphragm in a vertical pipe is presented, that enables producing data for CFD code validation in complex geometries. Main feature is a translocation of the diaphragm to scan the 3D void field with a stationary wire-mesh sensor. Besides the measurement of time-averaged void fraction fields, a novel data evaluation method was developed to extract estimated liquid velocity profiles from the wire-mesh sensor data. The flow around an obstacle of the chosen geometry has many topological similarities with complex flow situations in bends, T-junctions, valves, safety valves and other components of power plant equipment and flow phenomena like curved stream lines, which form significant angles with the gravity vector, flow separation at sharp edges and recirculation zones in their wake are present. In order to assess the quality of the CFD code and their underlying multiphase flow and turbulence models pre-test calculations by ANSYS CFX 10.0 were carried out. A comparison between the calculation results and the experimental data shows a good agreement in term of all significant qualitative details of the void fraction and liquid velocity distributions. Furthermore, the report contains a method to assess the lateral components of bubble velocities in the form of a basic theoretical description and visualisation examples. The plots show the deviation of the flow around the obstacle in term of vectors represented the average velocities of the instantaneous cross-sections of all bubbles in the time interval when they pass the measuring plane. A detailed uncertainty analyse of the velocity assessments concludes the presented report. It includes remarks about the comparison with a second method for calculating bubble velocity profiles - the cross-correlation. In addition, this chapter gives an overview about the influence of acceleration and deceleration effects on the velocity estimation.

The works aimed at the further development and validation of models for CFD codes. For this reason, the new thermal-hydraulic test facility TOPFLOW was erected and equipped with wire-mesh sensors with high spatial and time resolution. Vertical test sections with nominal diameters of DN50 and DN200 operating with air-water as well as steam-water two-phase flows provided results on the evaluation of flow patterns, on the be¬haviour of the interfacial area as well as on interfacial momentum and heat transfer. The validation of the CFD-code for complex geometries was carried out using 3D void fraction and velocity distributions obtained in an experiment with an asymmetric obstacle in the large DN200 test section. With respect to free surface flows, stratified co- and counter-current flows as well as slug flows were studied in two horizontal test channels made from acrylic glass. Post-test calculations of these experiments succeeded in predicting the slug formation process. Corresponding to the main goal of the project, the experimental data was used for the model development. For vertical flows, the emphasis was put on lateral bubble forces (e.g. lift force). Different constitutive laws were tested using a Multi Bubble Size Class Test Solver that has been developed for this purpose. Basing on the results a generalized inhomogeneous Multiple Size Group (MUSIG) Model has been proposed and implemented into the CFD code CFX (ANSYS). Validation calculations with the new code resulted in the conclusion that particularly the models for bubble coalescence and fragmentation need further optimisation. Studies of single effects, like the assessment of turbulent dissipation in a bubbly flow and the analysis of trajectories of single bubbles near the wall, supplied other important results of the project.

Two-phase flow experiments at vertical pipes are much suitable for studying the action of different constitutive relations characterizing the momentum exchange at the gas/liquid interface as well as the dynamic behaviour of the gas/liquid interface itself. The flow can be observed in its movement along the pipe and, in particular, within the shear field close to the pipe wall over a considerable vertical distance and, consequently, over a comparatively long time without the immediate separation of gas and liquid characteristic for horizontal flows. Wire-mesh sensors, which were the working horse in the described experiments, supplied sequences of instantaneous two-dimensional gas fraction distributions with a high-resolution in space and time. This allows to derive from the data not only void fraction and bubble velocity profiles, but also bubble size distributions, bubble-size resolved radial gas fraction profiles as well as the axial evolution of these distributions. An interfacial surface reconstruction algorithm was developed in order to extract the extension of interfacial area from the wire-mesh sensor data. The sensors were upgraded to withstand parameters that are close to nuclear reactor conditions. Most of the experiments were performed for both air/water flow at ambient pressure and steam/water flow of up to 6.5 MPa at identical combinations of the gas and liquid superficial velocities. This offers excellent conditions for studying the influence of the fluid properties.

Ziel der Arbeiten war die Weiterentwicklung und Validierung von Modellen in CFD-Codes. Hierzu wurde am FZD die thermohydraulische Versuchsanlage TOPFLOW aufgebaut und mit räumlich und zeitlich hochauflösenden Gittersensoren ausgestattet. Vertikale Teststrecken mit Nenndurchmessern von DN50 bzw. DN200 für Luft/Wasser- sowie Dampf/Wasser-Strömungen lieferten Ergebnisse zur Entwicklung von Strömungsformen, zum Verhalten der Zwischenphasengrenzfläche sowie zum Wärme- und Impulsaustausch zwischen den Phasen. Die Validierung des CFD-Codes in komplexen Geometrien erfolgte anhand von 3D Gasgehalts- und Geschwindigkeitsfeldern, die bei Umströmung eines asymmetrischen Hindernisses auftreten, das in der Teststrecke DN200 eingebaut war. Im Hinblick auf Strömungen mit freier Oberfläche untersuchte das FZD in zwei horizontalen Acrylglas-Kanälen geschichtete Zweiphasenströmungen im Gleich- bzw. Gegenstrom sowie Schwallströmungen. Bei den Nachrechnungen dieser Versuche gelang die Simulation der Schwallentstehung. Entsprechend des Projektziels wurden die experimentellen Ergebnisse zur Modellentwicklung genutzt. Bei vertikalen Strömungen stand die Wirkung der lateralen Blasenkräfte (z.B. Liftkraft) im Vordergrund. Zum Test unterschiedlicher Modellansätze wurde hierzu ein Mehrblasenklassen-Testsolver entwickelt und genutzt. Darauf aufbauend wurde ein neues Konzept für ein Mehrblasenklassenmodell, das Inhomogene MUSIG Modell erarbeitet und in den kommerziellen CFD Code CFX (ANSYS) implementiert. Bei Validierungsrechnungen zeigte sich, dass vor allem die Blasenkoaleszenz- und -zerfallsmodelle weiter optimiert werden müssen. Untersuchungen zu Einzeleffekten, wie z.B. die Abschätzung von Turbulenzkoeffizienten und die Analyse der Trajektoren von Einzelblasen in unmittelbarer Wandnähe, lieferten weitere wichtige Ergebnisse des Projekts.

Die in diesem Bericht vorgestellten Experimente betreffen die Kondensation von Dampf in horizontalen bzw. leicht geneigten Rohren bei hohen auftretenden Temperaturdifferenzen bis zu über 200 K. Weitere Besonderheiten sind die detaillierte Untersuchung des transienten Verhaltens eines nichtkondensierbaren Gases mit einer neuartigen Messtechnik sowie die Ermittlung des Einflusses des Gases auf den Kondensationsvorgang. Beim Experiment wurden schnelle Übergangsvorgänge ausgelöst, indem ein in einer Kühlwanne liegendes, leicht geneigtes Wärmeübertragerrohr plötzlich mit dem Dampfraum eines unter Druck stehenden Kessels verbunden wurde. Dabei wurden im Rohr unterschiedliche Anfangsbedingungen hinsichtlich der Vorlage von nichtkondensierbaren Gasen (in diesem Falle Luft) eingestellt. Es wurden Versuche mit Atmosphärendruck, mit erhöhtem Druck, aber auch mit vorheriger Evakuierung des Versuchsrohrs durchgeführt. Durch eine Instrumentierung mit neuartigen Nadelsonden, die eine Phasendetektion kombiniert mit einer schnellen lokalen Temperaturmessung ermöglichen, konnte die Umverteilung von Dampf, Kondensat und nichtkondensierbarem Gas als Funktion der Zeit beobachtet werden. Damit bieten die erhaltenen Daten die Möglichkeit, insbesondere die in den Thermohydraulikprogrammen vorhandenen Optionen zur Berechnung der Ausbreitung von nichtkondensierbaren Gasen unter transienten Bedingungen zu validieren.

For the qualification and validation of two-phase CFD-models for medium and large-scale industrial applications dedicated experiments providing data with high temporal and spatial resolution are required. Fluid dynamic parameter like gas volume fraction, bubble size distribution, velocity or turbulent kinetic energy should be measured locally. Considering the fact, that the used measurement techniques should not affect the flow characteristics, radiation based tomographic methods are the favourite candidate for such measurements. Here the recently developed ultrafast X-ray tomography, is applied to measure the local and temporal gas volume fraction distribution in a vertical pipe. To obtain the required frame rate a rotating X-ray source by a massless electron beam and a static detector ring are used. Experiments on a vertical pipe are well suited for development and validation of closure models for two-phase flows. While vertical pipe flows are axially symmetrically, the boundary conditions are well defined. The evolution of the flow along the pipe can be investigated as well. This report documents the experiments done for co-current upwards and downwards air-water and steam-water flows as well as for counter-current air-water flows. The details of the setup, measuring technique and data evaluation are given. The report also includes a discussion on selected results obtained and on uncertainties.

Consider a mixture of two immiscible, incompressible fluids e.g. oil and water. Since the fluids do not mix, an interface between the two fluids will form and move in time. The motion of the two fluids can be modelled by the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations for two phase flow with surface tension together with a representation of the moving interface. The parameters in the Navier-Stokes equations will depend on the position and other properties of the interface. The interface should move with the velocity of the flow at the interface. Since the fluids are incompressible, the density of each fluid is constant. Mass conservation then implies that the volume occupied by each of the two fluids should not change with time. The object of this thesis has been to develop a new numerical method to simulate incompressible two phase flow accurately that conserves mass and volume of each fluid correctly. Numerical simulations of incompressible two phase flow with surface tension have been a challenge for many years. Several methods have been developed and used prior to the work presented in this thesis. The two most commonly used methods are volume of fluid methods and level set methods. There are advantages and disadvantages of both of the methods. In volume of fluid methods the interface is represented by a discontinuity of a globally defined function. Because of the discontinuity it is hard both to move the interface as well as to calculate properties of the interface such as curvature. Specially designed methods have to be used, and all these methods are low order accurate. Volume of fluid methods do however conserve the volumes of the two fluids correctly. In level set methods the interface is represented by the zero contour of the globally defined signed distance function. This function is smooth across the interface. Since the function is smooth, standard methods for partial differential equations can be used to advect the interface accurately. A reinitialization is however needed to make sure that the level set function remains a signed distance function. During this process the zero contour might move slightly. Because of this, the volume conservation of the method becomes poor. In this thesis we present a new level set method. The method is designed such that the volume of each fluid is conserved, at least approximately. The interface is represented by the 0.5 contour of a regularized characteristic function. As for standard level set methods, the interface is moved first by an advective step, and then reinitialized. Unlike traditional level set methods, we can formulate the reinitialization as a conservation law. Conservative methods can then be used to move and to reinitialize the level set function numerically. Since the level set function is a regularized characteristic function, we can expect good conservation of the volume bounded by the interface. The method is discretized using both finite differences and finite elements. Uniform and adaptive grids are used in both two and three space dimensions. Good convergence as well as volume conservation is observed. Theoretical studies are performed to investigate the conservation and the computational time needed for reinitialization. / QC 20101122

Un caloduc pulsé diphasique est un lien thermique composé d'un tube capillaire lisse sous forme de serpentin reliant un évaporateur à un condenseur, séparés par une partie adiabatique. Les conditions de température et de pression du fluide à l'intérieur du caloduc sont proches des conditions de changement de phase. De ce fait, et grâce aux dimensions capillaires du tube, le fluide se distribue en différentes parties liquide et vapeur distribuées de manière alternée. Les instabilités thermo-hydrauliques permanentes sont à l'origine d'un écoulement oscillant qui permet le transfert de chaleur de l'évaporateur jusqu'au condenseur.L'objectif du présent projet de recherche consiste à étudier le comportement thermo-hydraulique de trois caloducs cryogéniques pulsés diphasiques testés avec différents fluides cryogéniques (azote, néon et argon) pour le refroidissement d'aimants à haute température critique. De plus, un code numérique a été développé pour les futures simulations 2D des caloducs pulsés diphasiques.Au cours de ce projet de recherche, de nombreux tests expérimentaux ont été réalisés avec trois fluides cryogéniques différents: azote, néon et argon. Les résultats expérimentaux des tests avec une augmentation de puissance progressive dans l'évaporateur ont révélé des capacités de transfert thermiques très différentes en fonction du fluide, chaque fluide présentant un comportement thermo-hydraulique différent. L'état thermodynamique du fluide lors du fonctionnement stable du PHP et la phase d'assèchement (dry-out) ont été étudiés. Les différences dans le comportement des différents fluides ont été expliquées après l'analyse de leurs propriétés physiques. De plus, les taux de remplissage de fluide dans le PHP donnant les meilleures performances thermiques ont été définis. Ajouté à cela, de nombreux tests réalisés en configuration ouverte (avec le PHP connecté au volume tampon) et en configuration fermé (avec le PHP isolé du volume tampon) ont permis de conclure sur la capacité de régulation du volume tampon en cas de surpression dans le PHP. Aussi, les résultats expérimentaux des longs tests de stabilité ont permis de vérifier la stabilité du système PHP pendant des longues périodes de fonctionnement. Par ailleurs, des tests spécifiques ont été réalisés pour déterminer des conditions optimales de démarrage, l'influence de la température du condenseur dans les performances thermiques du système et l'influence du nombre de tubes en parallèle dans la capacité de transfert thermique du système. Finalement, une série de tests avec une forte puissance thermique imposée au niveau de l'évaporateur imitant une situation de quench dans un aimant supraconducteur ont données des précieuses informations sur les limites thermiques du système. Concernant les simulations numériques, un modèle a été développé avec le solveur Fluent pour des simulations dans une géométrie 2D axisymétrique en utilisant la méthode VOF. La dynamique du fluide dans un tube capillaire a été modélisée et les simulations thermiques ont permis de conclure que les instabilités thermodynamiques restent insuffisantes pour maintenir les oscillations du fluide. Ce modèle est présenté comme une nouvelle plateforme pour de futures modélisations 2D des caloducs pulsés diphasiques. / A pulsating (or oscillating) heat pipe (PHP or OHP) is a heat transfer device composed of a single capillary tube bent in many U-turns, connecting an evaporator to a condenser, separated by an adiabatic part. In the PHP, temperature and pressure conditions of the working fluid are close to phase-change conditions. Due to this and to the capillary dimensions of the tube, the fluid is distributed in alternating liquid slugs and vapor plugs. Permanent thermal instabilities in the PHP create the oscillating flow which allows the transfer of heat from one end (the evaporator) to the other (the condenser).The objective of the present work consists in characterizing the thermo-hydraulic behavior of the meter-scale horizontal cryogenic pulsating heat pipes as a cooling solution for space superconducting magnets. To this, several experiments have been conducted in a cryogenic facility containing three different horizontal pulsating heat pipes. In addition, a numerical 2D model has been proposed for future horizontal pulsating heat pipes simulations.During the research project, numerous tests have been performed using three different working fluids: nitrogen, neon and argon. From experimental results of progressive heat load tests it has been possible to compare the maximum heat load transfer capacity of the PHP with each fluid and the corresponding thermal performance. It has also been noticed that each fluid presents a specific behavior concerning the fluid oscillations. In addition, the thermodynamic state of the fluid in operating conditions and the dry-out process have been characterized. Differences between fluid's behaviors have been partly explained by analyzing the evolution of the fluid physical properties related to the movement and the heat transfer capacity. Furthermore, it has been possible to conclude about the relation between the liquid filling ratio in the PHP and its thermal performance, determining the filling ratios giving the highest thermal performances. Moreover, similar tests have been performed in open configuration (with the PHP connected to the buffer volume) and closed configuration (with the PHP isolated from the buffer volume). From this, it has been possible to conclude about the regulation made by the buffer volume in case of overpressure in the PHP. Also, experimental results from long stability tests have confirmed that these pulsating heat pipe are able to work in stable conditions during long periods as a reliable cooling system. In addition to that, specific tests have been done to determine the optimum start-tup conditions, the influence of the temperature of the condenser in the thermal performance and the influence of the number of turns in the global heat transfer capacity. A final series of tests have been achieved with a sudden extra heat load at the surface of the evaporator while the PHP is operating in stable conditions, simulating a quench event of a superconducting magnet. Experimental results gave us precious information about the transient thermal behavior and operating limits of this kind of device during transient heat loads like quench situations. Concerning the numerical part, a numerical model has been proposed for transient simulations with a pressure-based Fluent solver using the Volume of Fluid (VOF) method in a 2D axisymmetric geometry. Certain characteristics of fluid dynamics in capillary tubes have been confirmed. It has also been noticed that thermodynamic instabilities are not enough to generate the fluid oscillations in capillary tubes. Even if the 2D axisymmetric simulation is still at its early stages, several aspects of the models have been validated after analyzing the evolution of different parameters, suggesting that this kind of model can be considered as a new platform for future 2D pulsating heat pipes simulations.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Nuclear Engineering, 1980. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND SCIENCE. / Vita. / Includes bibliographical references. / by Donald Arthur Dube. / Ph.D.