CRITICAL STEAM (GAS) VELOCITY FOR THE PROCESS OF FLOODING IN VERTICAL TUBES.

The process of flooding arises when a liquid flows downward with an upward counterflow of steam (gas). This is a typical crisis process, linked with the loss of stability of the phase boundary. It is independent of the installation's piping arrangement and arises at a certain ratio of liquid and gas flow rates. The arrangement operates spontaneously with flooding. A certain gas velocity in the tube corresponds to a certain flow rate of the liquid flowing downward from the above tank, while any gas velocity is critical. This paper discusses the boundary conditions related to the flooding process. An investigation of a heat exchange crisis is reviewed. Experimental data and justification for a proposed calculation method are validated.