Statistical Moments Transport Model for the prediction of slug flow properties

Abstract

The present work introduces the Statistical Moments Transport (SMT) Model for a description of the mean and standard deviation values of bubble and liquid slug lengths in horizontal, inclined and vertical flows. The model considers gas depressurization and the interaction (coalescence) between long bubbles. Results are compared to three other theoretical approaches – unit cell, slug tracking and slug capturing models – and six different experimental data sets. The gain in computing time as compared to the slug tracking model even in relatively short pipes is of two orders of magnitude.