Experimental study on the characteristics of flow pattern transitions of air-water two-phase flow in a horizontal pipe

Abstract

The two-phase flow application was commonly found in industrial processes, such as oil and gas production in wells, gas and oil pipelines, etc. The characteristic of two-phase flow had various aspects depending on its interfacial behaviour. The interfacial structures of air-water two-phase flow in a horizontal pipe were experimentally investigated by using visualization method with high speed camera. The experiments were conducted in a horizontal two-phase flow facility, total length 10 m pipe made from acrylic with 26 mm ID. To obtain the flow pattern, a total of 132 flow condition were observed. The superficial gas and liquid velocities were set to 0.31 m/s – 20 m/s and 0.016 m/s – 0.77 m/s, respectively.High Speed Camera observation successfully characterized and demonstrated two-phase flow regime in a horizontal pipe. Its also developed flow regime maps. Air-water two-phase flow is characterized by bubble breakup and coalescence in the transition from plug to slug flow. Interfacial instabilities form in stratified to wavy flow, then small waves, larger waves and the droplet entrainment in transition to annular flow. High amplitude wave was required to form the slug flow. This flow pattern maps is a two-phase flow regime transition including stratified flow, plug flow, slug flow, annular flow and sub-regime of each patterns. The influence of superficial velocity of air and water has a significant effect on the flow patterns and sub-regime types.The two-phase flow application was commonly found in industrial processes, such as oil and gas production in wells, gas and oil pipelines, etc. The characteristic of two-phase flow had various aspects depending on its interfacial behaviour. The interfacial structures of air-water two-phase flow in a horizontal pipe were experimentally investigated by using visualization method with high speed camera. The experiments were conducted in a horizontal two-phase flow facility, total length 10 m pipe made from acrylic with 26 mm ID. To obtain the flow pattern, a total of 132 flow condition were observed. The superficial gas and liquid velocities were set to 0.31 m/s – 20 m/s and 0.016 m/s – 0.77 m/s, respectively.High Speed Camera observation successfully characterized and demonstrated two-phase flow regime in a horizontal pipe. Its also developed flow regime maps. Air-water two-phase flow is characterized by bubble breakup and coalescence in the transition from plug to slug flow. Interfacial instabilities form ...