Numerical simulation of single and two-phase flow across 90° vertical elbows

[Display omitted] •Elbows induce secondary flow and affect the flow and interfacial structure.•Elbow orientation has no effect on dissipation of elbow effect in single phase flow.•Elbow effect takes longer length to dissipate in two phase flow. This study investigates elbow effects on single-phase and two-phase flows. ANSYS CFX is used to simulate the evolution of the single-phase velocity distribution and two-phase interfacial structure downstream of vertical elbows. Simulations are benchmarked with existing LDA data and detailed four-sensor conductivity probe data. It is found that elbows create secondary flow, containing two counter-rotating vortices in both single-phase and two-phase flows. The vortices shift to pipe center and develop into parabolic velocity profile downstream. The elbow effect dissipates exponentially and dissipates 90% of its initial maximum value at approximately 11D downstream, no matter the elbow direction. In two-phase flow, bubbles are entrained by the secondary flow to form double-peaked void fraction and interfacial area concentration distributions. The double-peaked distribution moves upward and becomes single-peaked distribution downstream. Due to the additional buoyant force, the elbow effect takes much longer length to dissipate in two-phase flow than in single-phase flow.