Abstract
A systematic work on the prediction of flow patterns transition of the oil-water two-phase flows is carried out under a wide range of oil phase viscosities, where four main flow regimes are considered including stratified, dispersed, core-annular, and intermittent flow. For oil with a relatively low viscosity, VKH criterion is considered for the stability of stratified flow, and critical drop size model is distinguished for the transition of o/w and w/o dispersed flow. For oil with a high viscousity, boundaries of core-annular flow are based on criteria proposed by Bannwart and Strazza et al. and neutral stability law ignoring that the velocity of the viscous phase is introduced for stratified flow. Comparisons between predictions and quantities of available data in both low and high viscosity oil-water flow from literatures show a good agreement. The framework provides extensive information about flow patterns transition of oil-water two-phase flow for industrial application.
Highlights
Oil-water two-phase systems abound in many applications in the petroleum industry including emulsions preparation, oilwater mixture separation, and transportation
This paper aims to establish a framework for flow pattern transition prediction especially over a wide range of oil viscosity, which is expected to provide extensive support for the industrial application of oil-water flow pattern transition theories
Theoretical models concerning systems with both low and high viscosity ratio are introduced for criterion of flow pattern transition of oil-water horizontal flow
Summary
Oil-water two-phase systems abound in many applications in the petroleum industry including emulsions preparation, oilwater mixture separation, and transportation. Accurate prediction of oil-water flow characteristics, such as flow pattern transition, is important in many engineering applications. The density difference between the two phases is relatively small, while the viscosity ratio encountered can extend over several orders of magnitude, both of which bring great complexities and difficulties to the study of oil-water flow transitions. Various experimental works have been proposed in the literature to enhance the understanding of oil-water flow transitions [1,2,3,4] in horizontal pipes with the flow pattern being classified as stratified, dispersed, and mixed flow. Trallero [4] conducted extensive experimental and theoretical studies on oil-water flow patterns, where segregated and dispersed flow were mainly focused and a total of six patterns were identified
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