Numerical Study of the Effects of Surface Tension and Initial Volume Fraction on Gas-Liquid-Foam Three-Phase Flow Separation Process

Since it is low in cost and toxicity has good biodegradability, gas-liquid-foam three-phase flow been widely used industrial fire protection. Due to the different characteristics of gas, liquid, foam, liquid precipitation liable occur under static conditions, resulting unstable performance mixture. To improve extinguishing efficiency, great significance study separation process gas-liquid-foam. In present study, effects surface tension (range from 0.04 0.07) initial volume fraction 0.2 0.5) on are investigated with numerical tool Fluent. The mainly influenced by two inverse effects: (a) transformation into (b) drainage bursting foam. process, small foam decreases monotonically while medium large increases slightly. much greater than its dominant, presents a monotonic increasing trend. separated almost linearly time at various tensions fractions, increase rate about 0.004. range examined, insensitive tension, same time. On other hand, depends non-monotonically; namely, when small, fraction, more easily mixture, over critical value (about 0.4), decelerated.