Study on the Vibrational Characteristics of a Tube Array Caused by Two-Phase Flow—Part 1: Random Vibration

There are few published papers about the flow-induced vibration caused by two-phase flow. Especially, the experimental data at high-pressure and high-temperature conditions which corresponds to the practical phenomenon, are extremely few, and the mechanism of the two-phase flow-induced load acting on a tube in tube array has not yet been explained. This paper shows the experimental results about the turbulent buffeting force both by air-water two-phase flow and by steam-water flow of extreme conditions up to 5.8 MPa in pressure and 272°C in temperature, the explanation of the mechanism of this force, and the method to evaluate the response of the tube caused by two-phase flow. Here, the main source of the buffeting force by two-phase flow in slug or froth flow pattern is recognized to be the impact force caused by the intermittently rising liquid slug. The slug speed and the fluid force acting on a tube are estimated, combined with the estimation of the intermittence of the occurrence of the liquid slug rising.