Two-phase flow in a diverging nozzle

Stationary two-phase flow experiments were performed with steam-water and air-water mixtures in a well-instrumented horizontal diverging nozzle. The test section consisted of a constant diameter tube, the friction-section, followed by an expansion, the diffusor, which has a tanh-contour and finally another constant diameter tube. The diameter ratio sigma=D1/D2 is 16/80. For the steam-water experiments the flow parameters were: 0<x<20%; 0<THETA<90%; 2<p<12 MPa; 9000<m<24000kg/sm2 and for air-water mixtures (0<x<7%; 0<THETA<90%; Papprox.=1 MPa; 4500<m<12000 Kg/sm2). The initial conditions were varied to achieve subcritical and critical mass flow rates. A new model for the pressure recovery in an abrupt expansion is presented. It is based on the superficial velocity concept and agrees well with the steam-water and the water-air experimental data as well as with the experiments of other authors. The experiments were also calculated with the two-phase code DUESE. The Drift-Flux models in this code as well as the constitutive correlations and their empirical constants could be tested. It is shown, that a 1D Drift-Flux code can handle the highly transient flow in the diffusor if the proper drift model is used. In a 1D simulation it is only necessary that the computational flow area is expanded to its full width within an axial length which is equivalent to the real contour. (orig./GL)