Liquid-Vapor Flow Regime Transitions for Use in Design of Heat Transfer Loops in Spacecraft - An Investigation of Two-Phase Flow in Zero Gravity Conditions

Abstract

The behavior of viscous (or low velocity) two-phase vapor-liquid flow under zero gravity was simulated in the laboratory by using two immiscible fluids of equal density flowing together in a one inch diameter glass tube. The fluids used were Polypropylene Glycol (PPG) which simulated the liquid phase and water which simulated the vapor phase. Various tests were conducted varying flow rates and entrance conditions. Four existing flow regime models were analyzed, modeled on a computer, and extrapolated to predict zero-gravity conditions. The flow regimes were the Horizontal Dukler-Taitel, Vertical Dukler-Taitel, Vertical Weisman and Horizontal Weisman. None of these models when extrapolated to zero-g conditions agreed well with the lab data, and some of the observed flow regimes were not predicted at all.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 1985
Accession Number
ADA159646

Entities

People

  • T. W. Lovell

Organizations

  • Wright Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Air Force Facilities
  • Annular Flow
  • Buoyancy
  • Contracts
  • Engineering
  • Equations
  • Films
  • Flow Visualization
  • Fluid Flow
  • Heat Transfer
  • Plastic Explosives
  • Simulations
  • Spacecraft
  • Surface Tension
  • Vehicle Equipment
  • Water Flow

Readers

  • Combustion and Flow Dynamics.
  • Polymer Science and Technology

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster