Flow patterns in vertical airwater flow with and without surfactant

Date of Award

2013

Degree Name

M.S. in Chemical Engineering

Department

Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering

Advisor/Chair

Advisor: Robert Joseph Wilkens

Abstract

Multiphase flow is a common phenomenon in many industrial processes. The influence of a surfactant on two-phase upward vertical flow regime was investigated in this study. With the addition of surfactant, the churn regime was extended towards lower gas velocity, and no bubble flow was observed at lower gas/liquid velocity for the range of conditions studied. The bubble sizes in all flow regimes were changed due to the lower surface tension caused by addition of the surfactant solution. The comparison between this experimental study with several predictive models was provided.

Keywords

Surface active agents Fluid dynamics, Surface tension, Multiphase flow, Chemical engineering; multiphase flow; air water; surfactant; flow patterns

Rights Statement

Copyright © 2013, author

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