Research Multiphase and index-matched flows
Inertial solids in high-speed pipe flow
Time-resolved tomographic imaging in an index-matched pipe reveals how inertial spheres move through high Reynolds number flow and area changes.
We employ tomographic, time-resolved imaging to study high-speed flow in pipes carrying inertial solid spheres. Measurements of this kind were considered unattainable only a few years ago; they let us capture the full three-dimensional, time-resolved velocity field around a moving particle and open a new window on high Reynolds number fluid dynamics.
The key enabling technique is refractive index matching. The working fluid, a concentrated aqueous sodium iodide solution, has the same refractive index as the acrylic pipe and the acrylic spheres, so light passes through the curved walls and the particles without distortion. Four high-speed cameras can then see the whole flow field at once, and the particle tracks are reconstructed with the Shake-The-Box algorithm.
Understanding how solids are transported in high-speed pipe flow matters in many settings: it helps optimize piping systems and reduce energy losses in engineering and manufacturing, it bears on the integrity and throughput of oil and gas pipelines where turbulence, pressure fluctuations and blockages are a concern, and it applies to water distribution and other transport systems where efficient flow management conserves resources.
This project is supported by the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund.
