Measurements of wall shear stress in horizontal air–water bubbly flows

The mean and time-varying fluctuation property of local wall shear stress of horizontal air–water bubbly flows in a circular pipe of 35 mm I.D. is measured using a TSI-1268W hot film probe. Data are collected in both entrance and developed regions of the flows. The variation of wall shear stress with L/D is analyzed, and the entrance length is determined to be 52–65 D at present studies. It is found that the wall shear stress is not uniform around the pipe circumference due to the asymmetrical phase distribution in the flows. The mean shear stress tends to decrease circumferentially from the pipe bottom to top. An increase of air flow rate at a constant water flow rate would further lower the wall shear stress at the upper part of the pipe and at the same time raise the wall shear stress at lower part of the pipe in both entrance and developed regions. An increase of water flow rate at a constant air flow rate would result in an increase of wall shear stress at all circumferential positions. The statistical property of wall shear stress is also discussed.