Positive frictional pressure gradient in vertical gas-high viscosity oil slug flow

Abstract

The present study describes the wall shear stress and the falling liquid film behavior in upward vertical slug flow of air and high viscosity oil. The frictional pressure gradient is directly related to the wall shear stress, and it is usually negative (opposite to the overall flow direction). However, in vertical slug flow, the average total wall shear stress of a slug unit may be negative (in the same direction of the overall flow), resulting in a positive frictional pressure gradient. However, this does not mean, by any way, generation of additional energy or violation of the second law of thermodynamics.The positive frictional pressure gradient phenomenon, reasons and required conditions were explained in this paper. A simplified model was developed and validated against recent experimental data of air-high viscosity oil slug flow in a 50.8mm ID vertical pipe. The oil viscosity was in the range of 127mPas to 580mPas. Positive frictional pressure gradient appears when the liquid film wall shear stress supersede the wall shear stress in the slug body. The rate of increase of both wall shear stresses (with respect to the mixture Reynolds number) depend, not only, on the mixture Reynolds number but also, highly, on the liquid viscosity.