Investigation of visualized-measurement merits of wire mesh sensor for gas-liquid flow

doi:10.11949/0438-1157.20210098

Abstract

Abstract:

Regarding the visual measurement capability of the wire mesh sensor (WMS), a variety of fluid visualization techniques were used to conduct research and evaluation. Numerical simulation has attracted wide attentions due to its advantages of low cost, flexibility and diversity. However, the research based on transient flow-field and electric-field coupling simulation to investigate the merits of WMS is rarely reported. For the 16×16-electrode conductivity WMS with spatial resolution of 3.125 mm, the flow-field and electric-field coupling principle, which is based on the linear relationship between the local conductivity of measured medium in electric field and phase holdup of fluid, is proposed. Furthermore, the simulations of stratified flow, annular flow and slug flow of gas-liquid flow and corresponding coupling calculations are carried out with the relative interface of COMSOL. And coupling results such as the reconstructed images according to WMS measurements and the current density distribution are in complete agreement with real gas-liquid distribution, which proves the excellent visualized merits of WMS and validates the feasibility of the coupling principle. Besides, the static experiment of air-water stratified flow with different liquid level and corresponding simulations were made. Meanwhile, the WMS measurements were collected respectively. The favorable agreement between reconstructed images derived from normalized WMS measurements with corresponding static flow validates the reliability of the simulation model adopted in this paper. In addition, it also confirms that the normalized processing for the WMS measurements can effectively correct nonlinear mapping between the real fluid distribution and the measurements of “crossing point” around the WMS edges because of edge electric field distortion, which ensures a consistent linear mapping between the two over the entire measured cross-section of WMS.

Key words: imaging using wire mesh sensor, gas-liquid flow, flow-field and electric-field coupling, edge electric field distortion, normalized processing

摘要：

关于丝网传感器（WMS）可视化测量能力已有学者采用多种流体可视化技术进行了研究评估，数值仿真方法以其低成本、灵活多样优势受到了广泛关注，但瞬态流场-电场的WMS耦合仿真评估鲜有报道。针对空间分辨率3.125 mm，16×16电导型WMS，基于电场域中被测介质局部电导率与流体相含率的线性关系提出了流场-电场耦合方法。采用COMSOL实现了分层流、环状流和段塞流的气液两相流体仿真以及相应的耦合计算，结果表明WMS测量重构图、电流密度模值分布等信息与真实气液相分布严格对应，证明WMS具有出色的可视化测量能力和耦合方法的可行性。此外采集了不同液位高度静态分层流WMS实验数据，并与仿真数据进行分析对比，二者测量归一化值重构图与静态流体分布相吻合，表明了仿真模型的可靠性，以及测量值归一化处理能有效修正因WMS“边缘电场畸变”造成的边缘点测量值与流体分布之间的非线性映射关系，确保整个横截面上两者之间的一致线性映射。

关键词: WMS成像, 气液两相流, 流场-电场耦合仿真, 边缘电场畸变, 归一化

CLC Number:

TP 212

Hai ZHANG, Ying XU, Tao ZHANG, Cenwei SUN, Chuanshun WEI, Zhixiang DAI. Investigation of visualized-measurement merits of wire mesh sensor for gas-liquid flow[J]. CIESC Journal, 2021, 72(9): 4573-4583.

张海, 徐英, 张涛, 孙涔崴, 魏传顺, 戴志向. 丝网传感器的气液两相流可视化测量特性研究[J]. 化工学报, 2021, 72(9): 4573-4583.

Figures/Tables 12

Fig.1 Geometric size and mesh of transient flow-field simulation domain

Table 1 Air-water condition used in the simulations

流型	入口方式	V_s_l/(m·s^-1)	V_sg/(m·s^-1)	LVF/%
分层流	液相：竖直管气相：水平管	0.16	2	7.41
		0.5	1	30.00
		1	1	50.00
		1	0.3	76.92
环状流	液相：水平管	0.7	10	6.54
环状流	气相：竖直管	2	13	13.33
段塞流	液相：水平管气相：竖直管	1	16	5.88^①

Fig.2 Periodic gas velocity fluctuation at inlet in slug flow simulation

Fig.3 Principle of flow-field and electric-field coupling simulation for WMS

Fig.4 Axial-slice and cross-section phase distribution of stratified flow obtained from simulation

Fig.5 Axial-slice and cross-section phase distribution of annual flow obtained from simulation

Fig.6 Simulative results of slug flow at the condition of Vsl= 1 m·s-1，Vsg= 16 m·s-1，LVF = 5.88%

Fig.7 Coupling results corresponding to fluid phase distribution of slug flow at t9 = 0.1422 s

Fig.8 Coupling results corresponding to fluid phase distribution of slug flow at t10 = 0.15 s

Fig.9 Experimental liquid level of static stratified flow using WMS

Fig.10 Experimental measurements and simulative values of static flow using WMS at condition of full water

Fig.11 Qualified comparison between visualized images based on experimental measurements and simulative values of static stratified flow with different liquid level using WMS

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