Control of gas-liquid interface for two-phase flow in small scale channel by using surface wettability of the channel wall

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26420118
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Fluid engineering
• Research Institution: Kumamoto University
• Principal Investigator: Kawahara Akimaro 熊本大学, 大学院先端科学研究部(工), 准教授 (20224818)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): YONEMOTO YUKIHIRO 熊本大学, 大学院先導機構, 助教 (70516418) ; NAKASHIMA YUTA 熊本大学, 先端科学研究部, 准教授 (70574341)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 二相流 / 濡れ性 / 気泡長さ / 圧力損失

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study is to investigate the effects of the surface wettability on gas-liquid two-phase flow in mini- and micro-channels. Experiments were conducted for air (or nitrogen gas)-water two-phase flow in horizontal rectangular channels. In order to know the effects of surface wettability on the two-phase flow in mini-channel in the channels, the wettability around the gas inlet part in the channel was changed by coating hydrophobic agent. Flow pattern, bubble length, liquid slug length, bubble velocity and pressure drop were measured. From the measurement data, it is found that the hydrophobic surface makes bubble length longer in both the micro- and mini-channels. And then, the longer gas bubble could reduce the pressure drop. From the pressure drop data, the correlation for predicting the pressure drop was newly developed by accounting for the surface wettability.

Free Research Field

流体工学