CFD and experimental investigation of the gas-liquid flow in the distributor of a compact heat exchanger

The present study deals with the simulation and experimental investigation of the two-phase distribution and flow regimes in a distributor located at the bottom of the cold flow pilot plant of a vertical compact heat exchanger. Air and water are the working fluids, and the range of superficial velocities inside the distributor is 0.9-8.8 m s−1 and 0.35-0.8 m s−1, for air and water respectively. Three-dimensional Volume Of Fluid (VOF) simulations are performed and compared to experimental distributions, pressure drops, and visualizations.