Development of a generalized coalescence and breakup closure for the inhomogeneous MUSIG model

In the present study we propose new coalescence and breakup closures for the inhomogeneous MUltiple bubble Size Group (MUSIG) model. The major purpose is to consider bubble coalescence and breakup due to different mechanisms in turbulent gas–liquid mixtures and to develop a generally applicable constitutive model for CFD applications. For bubble coalescence the new model includes coalescence due to turbulence, laminar shear, wake-entrainment and eddy-capture. Bubble breakup mechanisms encompass turbulent fluctuation, laminar shear and interfacial slip velocity. The new model was implemented in the commercial CFD software (CFX-12.0) and applied to the case of turbulent air–water mixtures in a large vertical pipe (DN 200). Simulation results for the evolution of bubble size distributions were compared to the standard closure model of Luo and Svendsen (1996) and Prince and Blanch (1990) as well as the experimental data of TOPFLOW test facility. Better prediction is accomplished by the proposed new model.