A New Method of Selecting the Airlift Pump Optimum Efficiency at Low Submergence Ratios with the Use of Image Analysis

Grzegorz Ligus, Daniel Zając, Maciej Masiukiewicz and Stanisław Anweiler
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Grzegorz Ligus: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Opole University of Technology, ul. Mikołajczyka 5, 45-271 Opole, Poland
Daniel Zając: Kelvion Sp. z o.o.., ul. Kobaltowa 2, 45-641 Opole, Poland
Maciej Masiukiewicz: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Opole University of Technology, ul. Mikołajczyka 5, 45-271 Opole, Poland
Stanisław Anweiler: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Opole University of Technology, ul. Mikołajczyka 5, 45-271 Opole, Poland

Energies, 2019, vol. 12, issue 4, 1-19

Abstract: This paper presents experimental studies on the optimization of two-phase fluid flow in an airlift pump. Airlift pumps, also known as mammoth pumps, are devices applied for vertical transport of liquids with the use of gas. Their operating principle involves the existence of a density gradient. This paper reports the results of experimental studies into the hydrodynamic effects of the airlift pump. The studies involved optical imaging of two-phase gas-liquid flow in a riser pipe. The visualization was performed with high-speed visualization techniques. The studies used a transparent model of airlift pump with a rectangular cross-section of the riser. The assessment of the airlift pump operation is based on the image grey-level analysis to provide the identification of two-phase flow regimes. The scope of the study also involved the determination of void fraction and pressure drops. The tests were carried out in a channel with dimensions 35 × 20 × 2045 mm with the gas flux range 0.2–15.0 m 3 /h. For the assessment of the two-phase flow pattern Probability Density Function (PDF) was applied. On the basis of the obtained results, a new method for selecting the optimum operating regime of airlift pump was derived. This method provides the finding of stability and efficiency of liquid transport. It can also be applied to determine the correlation between the total lifting efficiency and the required gas flux for proper operation of the airlift pump.

Keywords: two-phase flow regime; airlift pump; void fraction; image analysis; efficiency optimization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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