Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science 85 (2017) 37–51

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Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/etfs

Experimental study of gas-liquid two-phase flow patterns within

centrifugal pumps impellers
William Monte Verde ⇑, Jorge Luiz Biazussi, Natache Arrifano Sassim, Antonio Carlos Bannwart
School of Mechanical Engineering, State University of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: This paper aims, through experiments, at determining gas–liquid flow patterns inside a centrifugal pump
Received 24 February 2016 impeller, as well as to correlate the topological distribution of the phases of pump performance. For this,
Received in revised form 12 December 2016 an experimental facility was built that would allow flow visualization inside the impeller. The construc-
Accepted 17 February 2017
tion of the visualization prototype was based on the stage of an Electrical Submersible Pump (ESP) widely
Available online 21 February 2017
used in petroleum industry. High-speed imaging was used as a technique to visualize the flow. The
images obtained allowed us to classify the gas-liquid flow into four patterns, which are: Bubble Flow,
Keywords:
Agglomerated Bubble Flow, Gas Pocket Flow and Segregated Flow. It was observed that the intensity
Centrifugal pump
Flow pattern
of pump performance degradation is directly influenced by the flow pattern within the impeller. The
Gas-liquid two-phase flow occurrence of the Gas Pocket Flow pattern is linked to the intensification of the deterioration of pump
Performance degradation performance and the appearance of operating instabilities. When it comes to the Segregated Flow, data
Flow visualization has shown that the severity of performance degradation may make the pump incapable of generating
pressure. Maps correlating flow pattern and pump performance were set for different operating condi-
tions. These maps showed that the higher the rotational speed, the greater the no-slip gas void fraction
where the transition occurred between the phases inside the impeller.
Ó 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction
The application of centrifugal pumps operating under gas-liquid
two-phase flow in nuclear reactor cooling systems and the risk of
radioactive fluid leakage motivated initial studies in this field.
Minemura and Murakami [1,2] studied the performance of cen-
trifugal pumps operating under two-phase flow and published the
first study correlating flow visualization, data analysis and model-
ing. This was the first study that linked pump performance to gas-
liquid flow pattern inside an impeller.
Patel and Runstadler [3] observed the occurrence of two flow
patterns in the impeller channels. In the first pattern, the gas flo-
wed in the form of small bubbles. In the second one, a large sta-
tionary bubble was formed in the impeller inlet due to
coalescence of smaller bubbles, which resulted in a significant
reduction of the pump head from a given flow.
Sekoguchi [4], Kim [5] Sato [6], Andras [7] Poullikkas [8] and
Thum [9] also carried out important research on centrifugal pumps
operating in the presence of gas related to nuclear power.
⇑ Corresponding author.
E-mail address: williammonteverde@gmail.com (W. Monte Verde).
Most research carried out in the nuclear industry used large
diameter axial pumps, with only one stage and volute. The geomet-
ric features of these pumps make it difficult to apply these results
in oil industry, where centrifugal pumps are generally radial, with
small diameter and multiple stages.
In petroleum industry, the centrifugal pump is the second most
popular method of artificial lifting. It is estimated that more than
100,000 wells produce oil using ESPs. When the pressure is less
than the oil saturation pressure, the produced fluid is a gas-
liquid two-phase mixture. The presence of a compressible phase
affects the performance of the centrifugal pump and causes operat-
ing instability in the pump system. The physical understanding of
performance degradation and especially the instability is funda-
mental to the advancement of this technology for more efficient
designs.
Estevam [10] developed the first visualization prototype for the
petroleum industry. The researcher observed two flow patterns:
dispersed bubbles and segregated flow. Based on experimental
observations, the author proposed a phenomenological model
and obtained dimensionless numbers that indicate which type of
flow will occur in the impeller channel.
Other authors such as Lea and Bearden [11], Gamboa [12],
Barrios [13] and Zhang [14] also developed studies on centrifugal

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.expthermflusci.2017.02.019
0894-1777/Ó 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
38 W. Monte Verde et al. / Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science 85 (2017) 37–51

Nomenclature

a major axis of the spheroid (mm) t impeller blade thickness (mm)

b minor axis of the spheroid (mm) VL liquid phase velocity (m/s)
CD drag coefficient (–) VG gas phase velocity (m/s)
d bubble diameter (m) a gas void fraction (–)
d1 impeller inlet diameter (mm) b2 impeller outlet blade angle (°)
de equivalent diameter (mm) k No-slip gas void fraction (–)
D impeller diameter (mm) lL liquid dynamic viscosity (Pa s)
D2 impeller outlet diameter (mm) qL specific mass of liquid phase (kg/m3)
FD drag force (N) qTP gas-liquid two-phase specific mass (kg/m3)
F rP force due to pressure gradient (N) /L flow rate coefficient (–)
g acceleration of gravity (m2/s) x rotational speed (rad/s)
h impeller blade height (mm) WL head coefficient (–)
HL single-phase liquid head (m) Rex rotational Reynolds number (–)
HTP gas-liquid two-phase head (m) DP L pressure increment (kPa)
Pin;L single-phase inlet pump pressure (kPa) DP TP gas-liquid two-phase pressure increment (kPa)
Pin;TP two-phase inlet pump pressure (kPa) @p=@s pressure gradient along the streamline
Pout;L single-phase outlet pump pressure (kPa) ESP electrical submersible pump
Pout;TP Two-phase outlet pump pressure (kPa) IM image
qG volumetric gas flow rate (m3/h) VSD variable speed drive
qL volumetric liquid flow rate (m3/h)
Re Reynolds number (–)

pumps operating with gas-liquid two-phase flow related to the oil

industry.
According to Mohammadi and Sharp [15], the majority of
experimental techniques used for characterizing two-phase flow
employ high-speed imaging and require optical access to the flow.
Flow visualization using a high-speed camera offers the possibility
to achieve high spatial and temporal resolutions and captures fast
transient phenomena. This visualization technique can be used to
qualitatively identify and characterize flow patterns, and by pro-
cessing the sequential images it is possible to acquire quantitative
information about variables like bubble size distribution and veloc-
ity. In view of the foregoing, in this study high-speed imaging will
be considered in order to visualize the flow.
The aim of this study is to identify the gas-liquid flow patterns
within the impeller and correlate them to pump performance. The
main contribution of this study is to provide high spatial and tem-
poral resolution images of the flow inside the impeller for examin-
ing flow dynamics in detail.
The pump studied in this paper is used in oil field exploration.
However, the tests in the laboratory with oil make it impossible
to complete visualization of the flow through the high-speed cam-
Fig. 1. Schematic diagram of the test bench. 1. visualization prototype, 2. high
era. The fluid’s lack of transparency is a limiting factor for this visu- speed camera, 3. light source, 4. data acquisition system, 5. torque meter, 6. electric
alization technique. Therefore, a water-air mixture is selected for motor, 7. compressor, 8. air tank, 9. laminar flow element, 10. thermo-chiller, 11.
testing. heat exchanger, 12. Coriolis meter, 13. booster pump, 14. liquid tank.
Although the properties of the water-air mixture are different
from the actual fluid properties, the results obtained with the
water-air mixture are of great importance for the phenomenolog- the working fluid. The booster is driven by a variable speed drive
ical understanding of centrifugal pump behavior operating with (VSD) and has the purpose of controlling the liquid pressure in
gas-liquid two-phase flow. Furthermore, these results serve as ref- the suction of the prototype pump. The gas is compressed by a
erence for validation of numerical simulations. screw compressor and stored in a tank. After the measurement of
the gas flow rate, a phase mixture is done, which is then pumped
by the prototype. The mixture is pumped back to the tank where
2. Experimental facility the gas is gravitationally separated and released, while the liquid
returns to the line.
The experimental facility, presented in Fig. 1, is composed of a All variables needed to determine pump performance were
gas and a liquid circulation line. A booster pumps the liquid from measured. For measuring liquid mass flow rate a Coriolis flow
the tank, which passes through the heat exchanger and the Coriolis meter, series F100, manufactured by Micro Motion was used. This
flow meter until it reaches the suction of the visualization proto- sensor has a maximum range of 33,650 kg/h and accuracy of 0.2%.
type. The temperature control system is composed of a shell- The gas volumetric flow rate was measured with a laminar flow
and-tube heat exchanger and a thermo-chiller, able to heat or cool element, 50MJ10 series, manufactured by Meriam, with 0.111
 W. Monte Verde et al. / Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science 85 (2017) 37–51 39

Table 1
Geometric specification of the impeller.

Parameter Value

Inlet Diameter – d1 44.1 mm

Outlet Diameter – D2 111.4 mm
Outlet Blade Angle – b2 46.8°
Blade thickness – t 2.2–3.1 mm
Blade Height – h 6 mm
Number of Blades 7

In order to get visual access to the flow inside the pump, two
main changes were necessary: modification of the impeller shroud
and replacement of the outlet diffuser. The original impeller had its
top shroud removed and replaced by one made of transparent
Fig. 2. Experimental facility layout. acrylic, which enabled flow visualization within the impeller chan-
nels. The impeller was painted white to increase the contrast
between the phases and for better image quality.
CFM of maximum range and precision of 0.86%. The temperature of
The outlet diffuser was replaced by another one designed espe-
the mixture in the prototype inlet and the temperature of the gas
cially to make the inside of the impeller visible. The diffuser vanes
in the laminar flow meter were measured with a resistance tem-
were designed so as to have an entry angle equal to the outflow
perature detector, type PT100, 1/10 DIN accuracy, manufactured
angle of the fluid that leaves the impeller, thereby lowering
by Ecil. For measuring the pressure capacitive transducers were
hydraulic stage losses. In order to direct the fluid to the impeller
used, series 2051, manufactured by Rosemount. The pressure sen-
inlet, a diffuser with no modification was used. Fig. 4 presents
sors have an accuracy of 0.05%. All instruments were connected to
the original ESP stage and the prototype pump after the described
a data acquisition system, manufactured by National Instruments,
changes and Fig. 5 shows the impeller visualization window.
that monitors and stores data. Fig. 2 shows the experimental facil-
In addition to this window, another one was built between the
ity used for this study.
gas injection point and the impeller inlet. This window permits
The fluids selected for the tests were tap water and air. The
evaluation of the arrangement between the phases entering the
transparency of the mixture facilitates the high-speed camera
impeller.
technique, besides not presenting any risks. The mixture between
Flow visualization within the impeller was made possible by
phases is done in the visualization prototype inlet, avoiding segre-
high speed camera technique. The equipment used was the I-
gation between the gas and the liquid. The gas is injected into the
SPEED 3 camera model, manufactured by Olympus, which has a
liquid flow through nozzles with a diameter of 0.5 mm. Although
maximum resolution of 1280  1024 at 2000 fps acquisition rate,
the gas injector is static, turbulence caused by the pump drive shaft
reaching up to 150,000 fps at lower resolutions. As a light source,
helps to maintain homogeneity of the mixture.
four LED reflectors were used, with 120 W of power and 7600
This prototype has been developed in order to enable flow visu-
lumens, each.
alization within a centrifugal pump impeller. The construction of
the visualization prototype was based on the real scale stage of
an ESP widely used in petroleum production. The ESP P23 model, 3. Gas-liquid flow patterns within the impeller
manufactured by Baker-Hughes, was used for this purpose. This
pump operating with water at 3500 rpm, provides the best perfor- Based on the images obtained for prototype testing with gas-
mance at the flow rate of 15.2 m3/h and head of 17 m per stage. liquid two-phase mixture, four flow patterns were identified
The geometric features of the selected impeller are shown in within the impeller, which are: Bubble Flow, Agglomerated Bubble
Fig. 3 and Table 1. Flow, Gas Pocket Flow and Segregated Flow. The features and
descriptions of each observed pattern are presented as it follows.

3.1. Bubble flow

The Bubble Flow pattern is observed only under extremely low

gas quantities and it consists of small bubbles dispersed along the
impeller channels. Fig. 6 and Video 1 illustrate images obtained for
the Bubble Flow pattern.
A derotation technique was used to reproduce the video. This
technique is used to freeze the rotational movement of the impel-
ler, allowing better visualization of the flow. This has the equiva-
lent effect of having a camera rotating at the same rotational
speed as the impeller. The procedure was developed to numerically
rotate back each frame at a specific angle. This angle that each
frame needs to be rotated backwards depends on the pump rota-
tional speed and the camera acquisition rate.
In the Bubble Flow pattern, water is the continuous phase and
gas bubbles are the dispersed phase. The interaction between the
gas bubbles is not significant, with no apparent aggregation of
the dispersed phase. The gas bubbles follow approximately the
same trajectory as the water particles. Smaller bubbles have a
Fig. 3. Impeller structure. spherical shape, while the larger bubbles present an irregular
40 W. Monte Verde et al. / Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science 85 (2017) 37–51

Fig. 4. (a) Original ESP stage. (b) Visualization prototype.

Fig. 5. Visualization window. Fig. 6. Bubble Flow pattern.

one. The gas flow affects mainly the amount of bubbles inside the
impeller, while the bubble size and shape are determined by the
rotational speed of the impeller and liquid flow rate. The bubble
size decreases as rotational speed increases, which is due to the
increase in drag forces and turbulent intensity.
Although the centrifugal field generated by pump rotation
tends to separate the phases due to density difference, the drag
force is sufficient enough to carry the gas with the liquid. Thus,
there are no regions with gas accumulation.
The gravitational field, perpendicular to the pump rotation axis,
has no relevant influence on the flow within the impeller. For rota-
tional speed of 900 rpm, the centrifugal field is about 45 times
greater than the gravitational field. However, the gravitational field
affects flow in the pump inlet tube, where the mixture of the
phases is done  which can alter the arrangement of the phases.
3.2. Agglomerated bubble flow
This flow pattern occurs by increasing the gas fraction from the
Bubble Flow pattern. With the increase in gas fraction, bubble pop-
ulation expands, as does their size. The space among them
decreases making the interaction among them more evident. Bub-
ble agglomeration and dispersion are observed throughout the
impeller channels. Fig. 7 and Video 2 illustrate the Agglomerated
Bubble Flow pattern.
The continuous and dispersed phases are water and air, respec-
tively. The major interaction of the dispersed phase promotes
agglomeration and coalescence of some bubbles, resulting in bub-
bles with greater diameters than the rest of the population. Larger
bubbles formed from coalescence have indefinite shape and are
intensely deformed by the flow. The drag force is no longer
 W. Monte Verde et al. / Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science 85 (2017) 37–51
Fig. 7. Agglomerated Bubble Flow pattern.
sufficient for carrying these deformable bubbles together with the
liquid. The adverse pressure gradient within the impeller slows
down the air bubbles, which tend to be stationary within the chan-
nels or drain at a lower speed than the liquid.
3.3. Gas Pocket flow
With a further increase in gas flow, it has been observed that
coalescence of bubbles raises, which results in a large bubble. This
gas bubble occupies a significant portion of the impeller channel by
restricting the available area for liquid flow. The gas-liquid inter-
face of this gas structure is intensely deformed and unstable, indi-
cating instability of the flow. Fig. 8 and Video 3 illustrate the Gas
Pocket Flow pattern.
Fig. 8. Gas Pocket Flow pattern.
41
Often this gas bubble remains stationary near the impeller inlet,
different from that observed by Poullikkas [8], who reported gas
accumulation on the low-pressure side of the blade.
A turbulence wake region downstream from the stationary bub-
ble has also been observed. This region is characterized by an accu-
mulation of small bubbles that detach from the main structure and
form an intense recirculation region.
The impeller area blocked by the gas bubble reduces the trans-
ference of kinetic energy to the liquid, decreasing the pump capac-
ity to generate pressure, and causing instability in pump operation.
The operational instability due to this flow pattern is known as
Surging.
3.4. Segregated flow
By increasing gas fraction, the stationary structures, or elon-
gated bubbles, expand in size in the radial direction and begin to
occupy the entire impeller length. The phases segregate and gas
flows forming a continuous phase. Fig. 9 and Video 4 illustrate
the Segregated Flow pattern.
Flow segregation generates stationary gas structures that are
located throughout the impeller. In the impeller inlet channel, a
bubble coalescence region has been found, at which the elongated
bubble is located. Near the outlet region, instabilities occur down-
stream from the elongated bubble. These instabilities promote par-
tial break in the stationary structure forming a wake of bubbles.
Detaching smaller bubbles also tend to be stationary within the
impeller, forming a region with a large population and intense
recirculation. In this flow pattern, waves are observed in the gas-
liquid interface, which indicate segregation of flow in the impeller
axial length, which can also be observed in Fig. 10.
Eventually, these elongated bubbles seep out of the impeller
quickly giving way to another elongated bubble, but with no
clearly defined period.
The reduction in the available area for liquid flow makes the
pump unable to transfer energy to the fluid, which results in a near
zero head. This operating condition is described in practical appli-
cations, such as Gas Locking. The Gas Locking is an operational
problem influenced not only by the pump itself but by the whole
pumping system. Gas Locking is a function of flow parameters,
Fig. 9. Segregated Flow pattern.
42 W. Monte Verde et al. / Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science 85 (2017) 37–51
Fig. 10. Flow within the impeller channel to Segregated Flow pattern.
fluid properties, pump geometry and installation characteristics,
such as: liquid flow rate, suction pressure, gas void fraction, speci-
fic mass, viscosity, surface tension, specific speed and system head
losses. In oil well applications, when the reservoir has no sufficient
pressure to promote fluid flow, the Gas Locking condition not only
promotes a null pump head but also causes null flow.
Based on the images obtained experimentally for gas-liquid
flow within the impeller, Fig. 11 synthesizes the four flow patterns
observed.
Regardless of the flow pattern observed within the impeller, the
gas-liquid pattern on the impeller suction is the bubble pattern.
Thus, flow patterns within the impeller channels are only functions
of the hydrodynamic flow caused by the pump, not being influ-
enced, in this study, by the phases in the suction arrangement.
4. Bubble size distribution
For the Bubble Flow pattern, the air bubble dimensions were
measured. In this study, the equivalent diameter was used as a
characteristic dimension of the bubbles (de ). The equivalent diam-
eter was defined as the diameter of the sphere that has the same
increasing gas void fraction
(a) (b)
Fig. 11. Gas-liquid two-phase flow patterns within centrifugal pumps impellers. (a) Bubble Flow, (b) Agglomerated Bubble Flow, (c) Gas Pocket Flow, (d) Segregated Flow.
ratio between the volume and the surface area of the irregular bub-
ble. All bubbles are considered to have a prolate spheroid shape.
The prolate spheroid is obtained by rotating an ellipse around its
major axis a, Fig. 12.The equivalent diameter de is calculated by
the Eq. (1):
pab2  
de ¼ qffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi ð1Þ
p b2 1  b 2
2
þ p2 pffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
ab
2
sin 1 a
1ðbaÞ
where a and b are the major and minor axis of the spheroid, respec-
tively. When the bubble is spherical, a and b are equal and the equa-
tion above results in an equivalent diameter equal to the original
bubble diameter.The measurement of the lengths a and b, in pixels,
was performed manually using NI Vision Assistant and an equiva-
lent diameter was calculated for each bubble. The images were cal-
ibrated by using a reference distance. The images used for the
measurement of a and b lengths were acquired with a resolution
of 1280  1024, 2000 fps rate over the time of one second. From
the 2000 images obtained, five were chosen randomly for analysis.
In each image, 80 bubbles were measured, totalizing a population of
400 bubbles under certain operating condition.
Fig. 13 shows the histograms of bubble size distribution and the
adjustment of distribution for four operating conditions. The oper-
ating conditions correspond to the Bubble Flow pattern, at a rota-
tion of 900 rpm, suction pressure of 150 kPa and gas mass flow rate
of 0.025 kg/h.
The no-slip gas void fraction k, is defined as
qG
k¼ ð2Þ
qG þ qL
where qG and qL represent the volumetric flow rate of gas and liquid
under the temperature and pressure conditions of the pump inlet,
respectively.
In Fig. 13 the no-slip gas void fraction increases from histogram
(a) to (d).
Even though the increase in no-slip gas void fraction is small, it
is possible to verify its influence on the size distribution of bubbles.
The increment of k tends to move the peak of the distribution to
the right, raising the equivalent diameter of the bubbles. The peak
frequency decreases and larger diameters appear more frequently.
The increase in the de diameter as a function of k fraction is primar-
ily due to a higher incidence of non-spherical bubbles. The incre-
ment of k causes increased amount of bubbles that have an a=b
(c) (d)
 W. Monte Verde et al. / Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science 85 (2017) 37–51 43

Fig. 12. Prolate spheroid and equivalent diameter.

ratio greater than one. While the decrease in k is associated with a

higher population with an a=b ratio tending to the unit value.
An opposite behavior was observed with increasing rotational
speed. For the same no-slip gas void fraction, increased rotation
tends to shift distribution to the left, diminishing the equivalent
diameter of the bubbles. The peak frequency raises, causing
small-diameter spherical bubbles to prevail in the population.
The operating condition histogram (d) is the Bubble Flow pat-
tern limit. For slightly higher gas fractions, bubble agglomeration
occurs, starting the Agglomerated Bubble Flow pattern. In this pat-
tern, the bubble shape is irregular, making it difficult to define a
characteristic dimension for the bubble. Therefore, bubble distri-
bution analysis is limited to the Bubble Flow pattern.
Bubble diameter is of fundamental importance for the applica-
tion of the balance of forces. The drag force, one of the main forces
involved, is directly linked to bubble diameter.

5. Correlating flow patterns to centrifugal pump performance

5.1. Single-phase flow

Due to ESP stage changes, it was necessary to perform single-

phase testing with water to characterize the performance of the
prototype pump, which served as a reference for the two-phase
tests. Analysis of single-phase testing is carried out based on the
laws of similarity.
Six variables are needed to describe the behavior of a centrifu-
gal pump: liquid flow ðqL Þ, rotational speed (x), impeller diameter
(D), specific mass (qL ), liquid viscosity (lL ) and single-phase head
(gHL ). Dimensional analysis shows that three independent dimen-
sionless quantities are sufficient to describe pump performance, as
pointed out by Stepanoff [16]. The dimensionless quantities are:

– Head coefficient WL :
gHL
WL ¼ ð3Þ
x2 D2
– Flow rate coefficient /L :
qL
/L ¼ ð4Þ
xD 3
– Reynolds rotational Rex :

qL xD2
Rex ¼ ð5Þ
lL

The single-phase head HL is defined by the energy balance

applied to the pump. By neglecting kinetic and potential energy
variation, we have:
Pout;L  Pin;L DPL
HL ¼ ¼ ð6Þ
qL g qL g
Fig. 13. Bubble size distribution.
44 W. Monte Verde et al. / Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science 85 (2017) 37–51
Fig. 14. Pump performance operating with single-phase liquid flow.
where Pin;L and P out;L are the liquid single-phase pressures measured
at the inlet and outlet of the pump, respectively.
When the viscous effects are negligible, the head coefficient
WL is a function of flow coefficient /L . Therefore, for dynamic simi-
larity of flow with the variation of rotation, there must be a single
functional relation between WL and /L .
Fig. 14 shows performance results of the prototype pump oper-
ating with water at 600, 900, 1200 and 1500 rpm. The performance
of the original ESP stage is also shown in this figure.
Based on these results, it is observed that the pump perfor-
mance describes the same curve regardless of rotation. This indi-
cates that the similarity laws are valid and viscous effects are
depressible compared to the effects of centrifugal field at rotations
over 600 rpm. Therefore, the two-phase tests were performed at
rotations higher than 600 rpm.
The comparison between the prototype’s performance and the
original ESP performance shows good agreement. This indicates
that the changes made in the diffuser and the impeller surface
did not significantly alter the original characteristics.
Besides the analysis using the dimensionless quantities,
repeatability tests were also carried out to ensure the correct oper-
ation of the prototype after modifications.
The visualization of the flow for the single-phase water test
revealed no cavitation problems at the suction pressure of
150 kPa. Thus, this value was adopted as the minimum pressure
limit for the two-phase tests.
5.2. Gas-liquid two-phase flow
For the centrifugal pump operating with the gas-liquid two-
phase mixture, two-phase head HT;P is defined as:
Pout;TP  Pin;TP DPTP
HTP ¼ ¼ ð7Þ
qTP g qTP g
where Pin;TP and Pout;TP are the gas-liquid two-phase pressures mea-
sured at the inlet and outlet of the pump; qTP ¼ qG a þ qL ð1  aÞ is
the specific mass of the two-phase mixture, qG is the specific mass
of gas and a is the gas void fraction.
The gas void fraction and the specific mass of the gas vary
within the pump, making it difficult to describe their performance
as a function of the two-phase head HTP . Thus, the performance
parameter in the two-phase flow will be the differential of pressure
DPTP .
Two-phase gas-liquid performance tests were carried out under
two different experimental procedures: performance testing at
Fig. 15. Performance of the centrifugal pump operating with gas-liquid two-phase
flow at constant gas flow rate.
constant gas flow rate and performance testing at constant liquid
flow rate.
5.2.1. Performance testing at constant gas flow rate
In this performance test procedure, pump rotation, suction
pressure and the mass flow rate of gas are held constant. Having
such parameters set, the experimental procedure consists initially
in adjusting the liquid flow corresponding to the zero differential
pressure (open flow condition). This operational condition is the
beginning of the test. After stabilization of variables, data and
image acquisition using the high speed camera are done. Data
acquisition is performed with a frequency of 1 kHz during 30 s
and the average of those measurements is then stored. The footage
of the flow inside the impeller is carried out at the rate of 2000 fps,
1280  1024 resolution at a one second interval.
The experimental condition that follows is achieved by decreas-
ing liquid flow rate. Thus, with the decrease in liquid flow rate and
by maintaining a constant gas flow rate, the k volume fraction
increases as the test continues.
Fig. 15 shows the pump performance curve operating with the
two-phase water-air mixture for a test at constant gas mass flow
rate. The operating conditions were: rotational speed of 900 rpm,
suction pressure of 150 kPa and gas mass flow rate of 0.050 kg/h.
The performance curve of the single-phase with water is also
shown as reference. The experimental points of two-phase perfor-
mance are identified from IM1 to IM11. The pattern flow visualiza-
tion for each of these points is shown in Fig. 16.
Throughout the whole test, the flow pattern found at the pump
suction was the bubble flow pattern.
At the beginning of the performance curve, from IM1 to IM3, it
is observed that pump performance hardly changes when com-
pared to single-phase operation. Under such conditions, the flow
pattern inside the impeller is Bubble Flow. The dispersed gas bub-
bles drain following a path next to particles of liquid without
showing an accumulation trend. There is no significant influence
on pump energy transfer to the mixture.
At the IM4 and IM5 points, the degradation of pump perfor-
mance starts. The pump’s capacity for generating pressure is
affected. The flow pattern in these conditions is classified as
Agglomerated Bubble Flow. Bubble population is greater, and so
is the interaction among them. Initial signs of gas accumulation
inside the impeller are checked.
The degradation of pump performance intensifies from the IM6
to the IM8 point. The performance curve, which until then had a
negative derivative, reaches a maximum point, IM7, and changes
in trend. The maximum point introduces instability in operation
 W. Monte Verde et al. / Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science 85 (2017) 37–51 45

IM 57 % 61 %

65 % 73 %

83 % IM 89 %

Fig. 16. Flow visualization for performance testing at constant gas flow rate
46 W. Monte Verde et al. / Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science 85 (2017) 37–51

IM 98 % 11 %

23 % 57 %

IM11, 49 %

Fig. 16 (continued)
 W. Monte Verde et al. / Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science 85 (2017) 37–51
of the pumping system. The pressure curve required from the sys-
tem can cross the pump performance curve at two points, thereby
causing instabilities.
The operational instability is characterized by cyclical fluctua-
tions in pressure and power, consumed by the electric motor that
drives the pump. Such instability that occurs around the maximum
point of the performance curve is known as Surging. The flow pat-
tern related to the intensification of performance degradation and
the inducing instability is the Gas Pocket Flow pattern.
After reaching the maximum point in the performance curve,
pump capacity to generate pressure decreases abruptly, from IM9
to IM11. In the operating condition at the IM11 point, the differen-
tial pressure across the pump is practically zero. The pump
remains in constant rotation, receiving brake horse power, but it
is unable to transfer energy to the mixture. This phenomenon is
known as Gas Locking.
Although the pressure differential is zero, liquid flow is different
from zero. This is because the booster pump is responsible for
maintaining the suction pressure of the pump constant. This pres-
sure differential is responsible for maintaining liquid flow.
The flow pattern from points IM9 to IM11 is the Segregated
Flow. The gas phase becomes continuous causing flow segregation.
Most of the impeller channel is occupied by gas. Although the vol-
ume fraction of gas k at the IM11 point is small, approximately
2.5%, the local void fraction a is extremely high. This is due to
the difference between the phases velocities. The elongated gas
bubble tends to remain stationary within the impeller occupying
most of the transversal section of the channel.
Fig. 17 shows pump performance operating with different mass
flow rates of gas, at 900 rpm rotation, and suction pressure of
150 kPa.
By flow visualization under these operating conditions, it is pos-
sible to delimit the region of the performance curve where each
flow pattern occurs. Analyses made for Fig. 15 are also valid for dif-
ferent mass flow rates of gas and can be applied to Fig. 17.
The dashed lines in Fig. 17 indicate the transition between the
flow patterns within the impeller. The dashed line I shows the
transition Bubble Flow-Agglomerated Bubble Flow. The line II indi-
cates the transition Agglomerated Bubble Flow-Gas Pocket Flow.
Finally, the line III transition represents Gas Pocket Flow-
Segregated Flow.
Fig. 17. Relationship between the flow patterns and the pump performance under
differing gas flow rates.
47
Fig. 18. Performance of the centrifugal pump operating with gas-liquid two-phase
flow at constant liquid flow rate.
5.2.2. Performance testing at constant liquid flow rate
This test procedure is frequently found in the literature for eval-
uating performance of centrifugal pumps operating in presence of
gas, Gamboa [12], Barrios [13] and Zhang [14]. The experimental
procedure consists in fixing liquid flow rate and gradually increas-
ing gas flow. During the test, constant rotation and suction pres-
sure are also maintained.
Fig. 18 shows the results of performance testing at liquid flow of
3.20 m3/h, rotational speed of 900 rpm, and suction pressure of
150 kPa. The tested liquid flow rate refers to the point of best pump
performance operating with water. The pattern flow visualization
concerning points IM12 to IM17 is shown in Fig. 19.
Fig. 18 also shows the expected performance of the pump con-
sidering the homogeneous model.
The homogeneous model is a simplified methodology for evalu-
ating the performance of centrifugal pumps operating with gas-
liquid two-phase flow. In this model, gas and liquid velocities are
equal. This is valid when the spatial distribution of the phases is
one that in each flow field the fluid is proportionally comprised
by each one of the phases. For the homogeneous model the slip
between the phases is zero, so a ¼ k. Thus, specific mass of mixture
qTP can be calculated as specific mass pondering of each phase.
Although the differential pressure produced by the pump is a func-
tion of specific mass, it is experimentally verified that the head is
constant, considering the same rotational speed and viscosity. For
the homogeneous model, equating Eqs. (6) and (7) and considering
a ¼ k, the differential pressure produced by the pump operating
with the gas-liquid mixture P TP can be calculated as it follows:
 
qG  k þ qL ð1  kÞ
DPTP ¼ DPL  ð8Þ
qL
The result of Fig. 18 shows that the increase in gas volume frac-
tion causes a tendency to reduce the pressure increment generated
by the pump. The intensity of reduction is different for different
values of k and it is directly related to the flow pattern inside the
impeller. For gas fractions lower than 1.5%, pump performance
reduction rate due to the gas fraction is constant. The observed
flow pattern is the Agglomerated Bubble Flow. From this gas frac-
tion, a variation of the pump performance reduction rate is
observed. The pressure increment begins to decrease sharply and
the Gas Pocket Flow can be identified inside the impeller channels.
From the IM16 point, the Segregated Flow pattern starts being
observed. Pump continues to show a decrease in its capacity until
the IM17 point, at which the increase in pressure is practically
zero.
48 W. Monte Verde et al. / Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science 85 (2017) 37–51

IM12 20 % IM13 .67 %

IM14 85 % IM15 %

IM16 .78 % IM17 17 %

Fig. 19. Flow visualization for performance testing at constant liquid flow rate.

The measured performance of the pump and the expected one greater performance than the actual one. This result shows that the
by the homogeneous model are close only for k values smaller than homogeneous model is not valid in general for two-phase flow
0.2%. Above this k value, the homogeneous model predicts a much within centrifugal pumps impellers. From the Agglomerated
 W. Monte Verde et al. / Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science 85 (2017) 37–51 49

Bubble Flow pattern, the homogeneous flow hypothesis is no

longer valid. The gas begins to coalesce in the impeller and its
velocity becomes lower than the liquid phase.

5.2.3. Rotational speed influence in flow pattern and pump

Fig. 20. Relationship between the flow patterns and the pump performance under
different rotational speeds.
performance
The rotational speed is another important parameter in the per-
formance of centrifugal pumps operating with gas-liquid two-
phase flow. Fig. 20 presents the results for the test at constant liq-
uid flow rates of 900, 1200 and 1500 rpm. The chosen liquid flow
rates correspond to points of best efficiency for each rotation in
single-phase operation with water. All tests were performed at
constant suction pressure of 150 kPa. The visualization of the flow
from IM18 to IM24 is shown in Fig. 21.
These results evidence the influence of rotational speed on the
flow pattern and pump performance. The higher the rotational
speed, the greater the value of k is, where the transition between
phases will occur. For the rotation of 900 rpm, the Agglomerated
Bubble Flow pattern is hardly observed, whereas at the rotation
of 1500 rpm, this pattern extends to k = 0.7%. A similar behavior

IM18, 900 rpm, .25 % IM19, 1200 rpm, .25 % IM20, 1500 rpm, .25 %

IM21, 900 rpm, .25 % IM22, 00 rpm, .25 % IM23, 1500 rpm, .25 %

IM24, 900 rpm, .00 % IM25, 00 rpm, 00 % IM26, 00 rpm, .00 %

Fig. 21. Influence of rotational speed on the flow pattern.

50 W. Monte Verde et al. / Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science 85 (2017) 37–51

is observed for the other transitions. The degradation of pump The F D drag force occurs due to slippage between the phases,
performance becomes less severe with the increase in rotational since the liquid velocity is greater than the gas velocity. This force
speed. tends to adduce the gas bubble out of the rotor. The F rP force
For images IM21, IM22 and IM23, the no-slip gas void fraction is occurs due to adverse pressure gradient to which the bubble is
k = 2.25%. In image IM21, the rotation is 900 rpm, and Segregated subjected. This force is center oriented in the impeller. The resul-
Flow is verified. In the image IM23, the rotation is 1500 rpm, and tant force of these two forces tends to deviate the bubbles from
the flow pattern observed is the Gas Pocket Flow pattern. The the liquid stream lines and acts towards the high pressure side of
IM22 point is in the transition between the Gas Pocket Flow- the blade channel.
Segregated Flow patterns. Gas accumulation in the impeller depends on the resulting force
From the IM24 to the IM26 points, there is gas fraction of 4%, between F D and F rP . The greater the liquid flow rate, the greater
and the observed pattern is the Segregated Flow pattern. the drag force is and the smaller the deviation of the bubble trajec-
The effects of the gas fraction and the rotational speed in pump tory related to the liquid is. When F rP force raises, due to increased
performance can be understood by analyzing the forces acting on rotation for instance, the F R resultant force deviates bubble trajec-
the bubble within the impeller. Although other forces act on the tory towards the high-pressure side of the impeller blade, where
bubbles, their movement is governed by two forces: the drag force gas agglomeration occurs due to the low relative velocity of the liq-
ðF D Þ and the force due to the gradient pressure ðF rP Þ, within the uid, as pointed out by Caridad [19].
impeller channel, as studied by Minemura and Murakami [17].
The drag force F D is defined by:
! 6. Conclusions
1 pd2
F D ¼ qL C D ðV L  V G ÞjV L  V G j ð9Þ
2 4 For this paper, we have carried out an experimental study of
gas-liquid two-phase flow patterns inside centrifugal pump impel-
where V L and V G are the liquid and gas local velocities, respectively. lers. As a result, the following conclusions were obtained:
d is the bubble diameter and C D is the drag coefficient. According to
Ishii and Zuber [18]. (1) Four flow patterns were identified within the centrifugal
(  pump impeller, which are: Bubble Flow, Agglomerated Bub-
0:75
24
ð1 þ 0:1Re Re < 1000 ble Flow, Gas Pocket Flow and Segregated Flow. The Bubble
CD ¼ Re
ð10Þ
0:45 Re > 1000 Flow pattern is observed only under extremely low gas
quantities and consists of small bubbles dispersed in the
the Reynold’s number being defined as: continuous liquid phase. The interaction among the gas bub-
qL jV L  V G jd bles is small, with no apparent aggregation of the dispersed
Re ¼ ð11Þ phase. In the Agglomerated Bubble Flow pattern, gas bubble
lL
interaction is evidenced. Bubble agglomerations and disper-
where lL is the liquid viscosity. sions are observed throughout all impeller channels. Bubble
The force due to the pressure gradient within the impeller chan- Agglomeration and coalescence result in bubble size
nel F rP is defined as: increase. The Gas Pocket Flow pattern is characterized by
 increased coalescence of the gas phase and the formation
pd3 @p of a large bubble that tends to remain stationary within
F rP ¼ ð12Þ
6 @s the impeller. This gas bubble occupies a significant portion
of the impeller channel by restricting the available area for
where @p=@s is the pressure gradient along the stream line. Both liquid flow. The gas-liquid interface of this structure is gas-
forces have been schematically shown in Fig. 22. eous, intensively deformed and unstable, indicating flow
instability. In the Segregated Flow pattern, the size of the
stationary bubble expands in the radial direction, forming
an elongated bubble that occupies the entire length of the
impeller channels. The phases are segregated and gas flows
forming a continuous phase.
(2) Gas bubbles in the Bubble Flow pattern have spherical or
irregular shapes that slightly resemble a spheroid. As a char-
acteristic dimension, an equivalent diameter has been
adopted, defined as the diameter of the sphere that has the
same ratio between the volume and the surface area of the
irregular bubble.
(3) The normal distribution provides a proper adjustment to
bubble size distribution. The increment of the no-slip gas
void fraction tends to move the distribution peak to the
right, raising the equivalent diameter of the bubbles. The
major frequency peak decreases and larger diameters appear
more frequently. For a given volume fraction, the increase in
rotational speed tends to shift distribution to the left, dimin-
ishing the equivalent diameter of the bubbles. The major fre-
quency peak raises, making small-diameter spherical
bubbles the dominant population.
(4) The comparison between the prototype’s performance and
the original ESP stage performance indicates that the changes
Fig. 22. Forces balance applied to a bubble within the rotor of a centrifugal pump. made did not significantly alter the original features.
 W. Monte Verde et al. / Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science 85 (2017) 37–51
(5) Pump performance describes the same curve for rotations
greater than 600 rpm, indicating that the similarity laws
are valid and viscous effects are depressible compared to
the effects of the centrifugal field.
(6) The increase in no-slip gas void fraction causes degradation
in the two-phase performance of the pump. This degradation
is directly associated with the flow pattern within the impel-
ler channels.
(7) Regardless of the experimental procedure, the flow pattern
related to the intensification of performance degradation is
the Gas Pocket Flow pattern. This flow pattern is also related
to the inducing of instability in pump operation. Pump per-
formance curve begins to show a local maximum point,
which induces instability in the operation of the pumping
system. The cyclical pressure fluctuations due to instability
are known as Surging.
(8) When gas becomes a continuous phase, the Segregated Flow
pattern, the two-phase performance is severely affected.
Pump capacity is reduced to the operating condition, at
which the differential pressure across the pump is zero. This
condition is known as Gas Locking.
(9) The higher the rotational speed, the greater the value of k is,
where the transition between phases inside the impeller of
the centrifugal pump occurs. The rotation increase makes
the pump more tolerant to the presence of the compressible
phase.
Acknowledgments
This study was supported by Statoil Brazil and National Agency
of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels, Brazil, associated with
investment funds from the R&D clauses.
Appendix A. Supplementary material
Supplementary data associated with this article can be found, in
the online version, at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.expthermflusci.
2017.02.019.
51
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