Prediction of the void coring phenomena in a triangular conduit

The phase distribution in any two-phase flow system is one of the most important parameters for an accurate analysis of the momentum and heat transfer mechanisms. A multidimensional analysis of an accurate flow and void distribution can result in an accurate prediction of such important thermal-hydraulic phenomena as the local critical heat flux. However, numerous experimental and analytical studies of a two-phase flow in the past were not able to satisfactorily predict the lateral phase distribution in a wide range of conditions due to the uncertainties associated with the interfacial constitutive models and the turbulence models. The previous study could not predict the void coring for the upward two-phase flow observed in the experiment. Recently, Tomiyama et al. showed that there is a critical bubble diameter causing the radial void profile transition from a wall peaking to a core peaking in an air-water bubbly flow. Using the transverse lift coefficient proposed by Tomiyama et al., this study simulated the void coring phenomena of the air-water flow in a triangular conduit and compared the predicted void distributions with the measurements