EXPERIMENTAL-STUDY OF A 2-PHASE BUBBLY FLOW IN A FLAT DUCT SYMMETRICAL SUDDEN EXPANSION .1. VISUALIZATION, PRESSURE AND VOID FRACTION

The present work involves an experimental study of bubble flow in a fl at horizontal sudden expansion. This study consists of two parts which are interdependent and complementary. Here in the first part, the qua litative study by visualization shows that the bubble flow changes fro m a dissymetric configuration to a symmetric configuration beyond a ce rtain volumetric quality x. The quantitative study involves evolutions of the pressure and the void fraction downstream of the singularity f or a quasi-symmetric bubble flow. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.