Water volume fraction measurement with hydrocyclone-capacitor sensor in horizontal gas-liquid swirling flow

The flow pattern of gas-liquid two-phase flow has a great influence on the water holdup measurement by capacitor sensor. In this paper, the idea of flow pattern regularization is proposed. The complex flow pattern of gasliquid two-phase flow is forcibly changed into the swirling flow pattern with regularized phase distribution by using the hydrocyclone. The structure of the hydrocyclone is designed by means of flow pattern observation to ensure better separation effect and less pressure loss, and the stability of the swirling flow is analyzed. Based on the hydrocyclone-capacitor sensor, the water volume fraction information is converted into liquid film thickness and water holdup information. The experimental results indicate that the sensor has a good resolution to the water volume fraction. A new model of the slip ratio in the swirling flow is presented. Based on the slip ratio in the swirling flow, the water volume fraction can be acquired, realizing the measurement of water volume fraction within 10%. The mean absolute error is 0.244%.