Dynamic Response of Ducted Bubbly Flows to Turbomachinery-Induced Perturbations

The present work investigates the dynamics of the three-dimensional, unsteady flow of a bubbly mixture in a cylindrical duct subject to a periodic pressure excitation at one end. One of the purposes is to investigate the bubbly or cavitating flow at inlet to or discharge from a pump whose blade motions would provide such excitation. The flow displays various regimes with radically different wave propagation characteristics. The dynamic effects due to the bubble response may radically alter the fluid behavior depending on the void fraction of the bubbly mixture, the mean bubble size, the pipe diamter, the angular speed of the turbomachine and the mean flow Mach number. This simple linearized analysis illustrates the importance of the complex interactions of the dynamics of the bubbles with the average flow, and provides information on the propagation and growth of the turbopump-induced disturbances in the feed lines operating with bubbly or cavitating liquids. Examples are presented to illustrate the influence of the relevant flow parameters. Finally, the limitations of the theory are outlined.