Liquid Slug Length Research Articles

Characterizing the development of gravity-driven slug flows using high-speed imaging and PIV-PLIF techniques

Although developing gravity-driven slug flow frequently occurs in oil and gas, and energy systems, its development dynamics remain underexplored; this gap, in turn, has left the underlying relationships between flow evolution and transport phenomena in these applications inadequately characterized as well. The present study experimentally investigates the spatiotemporal-spectral development of gravity-driven air–water and CO2-water slug flows in a vertical 25.4 mm ID pipe. Enhanced flow visualization techniques, utilizing high-speed imaging and particle image velocimetry-planar laser induced fluorescence (PIV-PLIF), were employed to determine the behaviors of gas and liquid phases and interactions at four positions along the pipe axis. A machine vision-based algorithm was employed to extract slug unit cell characteristics and instantaneous void fraction signals, allowing for a comprehensive statistical analysis of gas phase behavior across the flow domain. A novel algorithm was also developed to preprocess raw PIV-PLIF images, facilitating phase discrimination and noise reduction before PIV cross-correlation analyses are conducted. The results showed a logarithmic growth in the lengths of Taylor bubbles, liquid slugs, and slug unit cells along the pipe, with liquid slugs constituting nearly 60 % of slug units downstream. Taylor bubble length distributions correlated well with log-normal fits, while liquid slug and unit cell lengths transitioned from log-normal patterns upstream to near-normal distributions downstream with broader and less peaked shapes. Taylor bubble velocities and appearance frequencies of the flow structures declined exponentially along the pipe, with Taylor bubble velocities showing narrower and more peaked near-normal distributions downstream. Instantaneous void fraction signals exhibited fewer, wider peaks and troughs with reduced small-amplitude oscillations downstream. The analysis of the signals indicated a complete bubbly-to-slug transition at Z/D=30. Gas-liquid phase interactions, classified as almost-zero, weak, and strong, impacted liquid phase velocity profiles and the behavior of Taylor bubbles, with minimum stable liquid slug lengths of 8–9 D and a wake length of 1.8 D observed. Empirical correlations were developed to represent the spatiotemporal-spectral aspects of flow development, with spectral parameters, particularly liquid slug frequency, identified as the most reliable indicators of the fully developed region, predicting entrance lengths of 114.0 D and 113.4 D for air–water and CO2-water, respectively. Gas density was found to strongly influence flow characteristics and transition, accelerating the approach to the fully developed region.

Pulsating Heat Pipe Performance Modeling with Liquid Metal Coolants Under Hypersonic Aerothermal Heating

Hypersonic heating loads concentrate at leading-edge compression areas to create excessively high local temperatures and thermally driven stresses. The fast and reliable thermal dispersion of heat pipes with significantly high thermal conductance can alleviate these localized thermal stiffness problems. The pulsating heat pipe (PHP) holds numerous advantages when compared to capillary, constant-conductance heat pipes for hypersonic thermal management applications, primarily because they lack a wicking structure. This paper numerically investigates thermal performances of a four-turn C103 niobium alloy PHP operating with lithium, potassium, sodium, and a eutectic sodium–potassium alloy (NaK-78) when exposed to heating conditions relevant to the hypersonic environment, investigating flight Mach numbers ranging from 6 to 8 and dynamic pressures ranging from 40 to 44 kPa. The robust thermofluidic properties of liquid metals, along with the powerful fluid pulsation induced in the PHP, can provide significant thermal transport from hot stagnant regions of the leading edge to the cooler trailing surfaces. Potassium showed superior thermal performance when compared to other liquid metal coolants under the presently tested conditions, with overall PHP thermal conductance as high as 34 W/K predicted for Mach 8 flight conditions. In contrast, sodium was associated with startup difficulties in the PHP; this paper attributes this to its significantly larger thermal conductivity, which can limit the vapor pressure difference over the liquid slug lengths. These predictions indicate an overall latent heat transfer dominance of around 70–95% in liquid metal PHPs.

Using machine vision algorithms for characterizing gas-liquid slug flows in vertical pipes

Slug flow, characterized by the distinctive interfacial structures of Taylor bubbles surrounded by liquid films and bridged by aerated liquid slugs, is a dynamically complex two-phase flow pattern exist in many oil and gas, and energy systems. Accurate and precise quantification of such complex flow behaviour is essential for optimal design, safe operation, and reliable modelling of these systems. Existing image-based measurement techniques mostly rely on offline image processing algorithms and are often limited to a narrow set of flow characteristics primarily focusing on Taylor bubbles. Such constraints not only impede real-time flow monitoring and regulation but also leave liquid slug characteristics unmeasured, resulting in an inability to accurately determine the flow characteristics and extract instantaneous void fraction signals. Present study examined the performance of adaptive thresholding (AT) and background subtraction (BS) algorithms in capturing slug flow characteristics. It was found that while the former excels in Taylor bubbles detection and the latter in small bubbles identification, neither individually addresses the accurate measurement of both flow structures' characteristics. This observation, along with the mentioned restrictions of existing algorithms are the main reason for developing the present combined machine vision-based algorithm. While unlocking the ability to extract instantaneous void fraction signals, this new approach facilitates online measurement of a wide range of key flow characteristics, including Taylor bubble length, velocity, void fraction, and surrounding liquid film thickness; liquid slug length and void fraction; and slug unit length, void fraction, and frequency. Parallel to the high-speed imaging, time-series void fraction data was collected using two capacitance sensors installed alongside the imaging area on the pipe, providing benchmark data essential for the validation of the new algorithm's accuracy. The comparisons demonstrated a high degree of accuracy and precision for the combined algorithm. Quantitatively, the new algorithm measured key unit cell characteristics with RMS errors ranging from 2 to 10 %, while the BS and AT algorithms exhibited wider RMS error ranges of 8–46 % and 2–53 %, respectively. This underscores the new algorithm's potential as a transformative tool for slug flow analysis.

Slug flow parameters applied to dynamic riser analysis

Slug flow is a typical pattern in the petroleum production system. Its main feature is intermittency. This feature influences the riser dynamic behavior due to the coupling of its geometric configuration and time and space variation of internal fluid parameters. Although the studies that illustrate slug flow intermittency and dynamic riser behaviors have been growing recently, this discussion still needs to be expanded. Most slug models proposed in the literature are simplified and do not adequately capture the intermittency to a proper riser dynamic influence determination. Previous models neglected at least one of the following slug flow mechanisms: random features, bubble shape, liquid slug aeration, wake, and pipeline inclination effects. This paper aims to cover all these phenomena and present a model that provides realistic slug flow data for any riser analysis program. The dynamic riser analysis is not the scope of this paper. This article used a new slug tracking model that captures the intermittency to study the influence of the internal flow over the dynamic riser behavior. The model considers the liquid slug hold-up and its change over the pipe, the oil and gas thermodynamic properties, and the geometrical transition from typically horizontal plane interfaces to vertical concentric bubble shapes. The slug tracking model tests use three gas and liquid ratios (0.55, 0.7, and 0.82) with a 2.05 m/s constant mixture velocity. The maximum relative pressure deviation was 24.1. Time and space analysis of the slug flow parameters demonstrates the slug tracking capacity to reproduce the intermittency of the bubble and liquid slug lengths, void fractions, velocities, and pressures. This intermittence is essential to describe the internal slug flow influence on the structure behavior.

Transition from bubbling to jetting in submerged gas-liquid jets through a minichannel

This paper provides a first insight into the transition from bubbling to jetting of submerged jets generated by the ejection of gas-liquid mixing flows through a minichannel into water. The ejections of rivulet, annular, churn, and Taylor-annular flows are found to generate jet behaviors of aperiodic bubbling, impact bubbling, chaotic bubbling, jetting-like jets, unstable jetting, and stable jetting. The correspondence relationship between the in-channel flows and submerged jets is revealed by establishing their flow regime maps, as well as the prediction models of transition boundaries. Compared to single-phase gas jets, the participation of liquid phase in mixing flows significantly promotes the transition from bubbling to jetting. Specifically, the increase of liquid phase velocity decreases the critical gas phase velocity for the transition from bubbling to jetting-like jets, as well as the transition from unstable jetting to stable jetting, characterized by the increase of liquid slug frequency and jet penetration length, as well as the decrease of liquid slug length, jet pitch-off frequency, and jet cone angles. As a result, via the in-channel mixing with a liquid phase of a Weber number of 110 prior to orifice ejection, the critical Mach number for the onset of stable jetting is significantly reduced from 3.76 to 1.25.

Slug flows of gas and shear-thinning fluids in horizontal pipes

Experiments on slug flow are carried out with air and three solutions of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC)(0.05, 0.1 and 0.2% w/w) in a 44.2 mm ID horizontal pipe. The lengths, velocities and frequency of passage of the large bubbles are obtained through a high-speed digital camera. The gas fraction and length of liquid slugs are also estimated. Pressure changes along the pipe are measured with a differential pressure transducer. Particle Image Velocimetry is used to obtain the mean velocity of the continuous liquid field in the film and slug regions. The combination of tested gas and liquid superficial velocities and of distinct fluid rheology results in 48 different experimental conditions. The flow behavior is found to be strongly dependent on the rheological properties of the continuous phase. In particular, the gas volume fraction within the liquid slug (α=1−Rs), the passage frequency of the large bubbles (νt) and the pressure changes are increased. New expressions are proposed for α and νt to account for the rheology of the liquid phase. Predictions of the flow parameters obtained through two modified mechanistic models are compared with the experimental data. The friction coefficient expression proposed by Anbarlooei et al. (Phys. Rev. E, 92(6), 5–9, 2015) is also tested. The impact of the proposed modifications on the calculated properties of slug flow is assessed; typical RMS-errors of less than 15% are obtained for parameter predictions.

Slug flow characteristics of air-liquid two-phase flow in horizontal pipes over a wide range of liquid viscosities

A large number of studies have been conducted to understand the slug flow characteristics of air-liquid two-phase flow in horizontal pipes and to capture parametric trends of critical flow parameters associated with slug flow, such as the liquid slug length, elongated bubble length, and elongated bubble velocity. Based on these findings, many attempts have been made to develop empirical correlations to predict the slug flow parameters. However, the validity of these correlations is limited to a specific working fluid and narrow ranges of geometrical or operating conditions, thereby reducing their effectiveness as useful general predictive tools. This limitation has created a need to develop empirical correlations that offer high accuracy over a broad application range, i.e., a wide range of liquid viscosities, superficial liquid and gas velocities, and pipe diameters. In this study, two-phase slug flow experiments were performed to examine the hydrodynamic features of slug flow under two different pipe diameters (2 and 4 cm) and two different liquid temperatures (25 and 45°C). In addition, a new consolidated database consisting of 1563 slug flow data points was amassed from 16 sources, including the present experimental data, covering a wide range of operating conditions and fluid properties. In particular, this study includes various liquids with a wide range of viscosities, such as heavy oil, light oil, and water. The parametric study of air-liquid slug flow at various viscosity levels revealed that as the mixture velocity increases, the liquid slug length tends to decrease when the liquid viscosity is high and increase when the liquid viscosity is low. On the other hand, the elongated bubble length and elongated bubble velocity increase with increasing superficial gas velocity, regardless of the liquid viscosity. Based on these findings, three empirical correlations were developed to predict the liquid slug length, elongated bubble length, and elongated bubble velocity. These correlations provide excellent predictive capability against the consolidated database, with overall MAE values of 18.1%, 20.6%, and 9%, respectively.

Experiments on Slug Flow Dynamics in Helically Coiled Tubes

Slug flow characteristics in helically coiled tubes were investigated in experiments. Pressure loss, slug velocity, and slug passing frequency were measured using pressure transducers and backlight imaging of dyed water under illumination. For a 20-mm-diameter tube, parametric dependencies on gas and liquid volume flow rates for total superficial velocities of up to 6 m/s with three different radii of curvature (R = 0.270 m, R = 0.375 m, and R = infinity/straight tube) were explored. The main experimental results obtained are (1) the bubbly flow regime shrinks because of centrifugal acceleration from the coiled geometry, (2) the liquid slug length remains unchanged regardless of changes in gas and liquid flow rates, and (3) the pipe friction factor decreases with slug passing frequency.

Regulating the Gas–Liquid Slug Flow in Microchannels through High-Frequency Pulsatile Perturbations

The gas–liquid slug flow that is characterized with alternate formation of gas and liquid segments has been widely applied for chemical synthesis and analysis. For its applications, it is essential to precisely control the gas and liquid slug lengths. However, using the passive method, the bubble/droplet generation frequency and their sizes are influenced by multiple parameters including the channel dimension, fluid physical properties, the gas-to-liquid flow rate ratio, and so forth and hence lack control flexibility. In this work, an active approach using pulsatile perturbations to control the gas–liquid slug flow is demonstrated. A rotating valve is applied to produce a high-frequency pulsating air flow. Under its influence, either Taylor bubbles in a hydrophilic channel or liquid-in-gas droplets in a hydrophobic channel can be generated synchronously with the flow pulsation. Therefore, the gas and liquid slug lengths can be independently tuned via the air inlet pressure and the liquid flow rate, respectively. The maximum generation frequency is up to ∼1300 Hz. In addition, the effects of the pulsation frequency, the pulse duty ratio, and the liquid viscosity are also investigated. This technique provides an efficient method to regulate the gas–liquid slug flow in multiphase microreactors or microfluidic analytical systems.

Prediction of slug length for high-viscosity oil in gas/liquid horizontal and slightly inclined pipe flows

The production and transportation of high viscosity liquid/gas two-phase Newtonian mixtures along petroleum production systems is a challenging operation due to the lack of understanding the flow behavior and characteristics. In particular, accurate prediction of two-phase slug length in pipes is crucial to efficiently operate and safely design oil well and separation facilities. The objective of this study is to develop a mechanistic model to predict high viscosity liquid slug length in pipelines and to optimize the proper set of closure relationships required to ensure high accuracy prediction. A large high viscosity liquid slug length database is collected and presented in this study, against which the proposed model is validated and compared with other models. A mechanistic slug length model is derived based on the first principles of mass and momentum balances over a two-phase slug unit, which requires a set of closure relationships of other slug characteristics. To select the proper set of closure relationships, a numerical optimization is carried out using a large slug length dataset to minimize the prediction error. Thousands of combinations of various slug flow closure relationships were evaluated to identify the most appropriate relationships for the proposed slug length model under high viscosity slug length condition. Results show that the proposed slug length mechanistic model is applicable for a wide range of liquid viscosities and is sensitive to the selected closure relationships. Results revealed that the optimum closure relationships combination is Archibong-Eso et al. (2018) for slug frequency, Wong (2003) for slug liquid holdup, Jeyachandra et al. (2012) for drift velocity, and Nicklin et al. (1962) for the distribution coefficient. Using the above set of closure relationships, model validation yields 34% absolute average percent error, outperforming all existing slug length models.

Experimental investigation on flow-induced vibration of a flexible catenary riser conveying severe slugging with variable gas superficial velocity

A flexible catenary riser conveying gas–liquid mixture may experience the severe slugging induced vibration (SSIV) within a specific gas and liquid superficial velocity range. In this work, the SSIV of a flexible catenary riser with aspect ratio of 200 and a horizontal upstream pipeline was experimentally investigated to shed some light on the nonlinear multiphase flow-induced vibration and the correlation with the dynamic behaviour and the flow evolution. The non-intrusive optical measurement with high-speed cameras was employed to capture the vibration displacements of evenly distributed markers along the riser as well as the flow characteristics of gas–liquidmixture in the riser. The first and second types of severe slugging (SSI and SSII) were observed in the standard case (vsg = 0.177 m/s and vsl = 0.094 m/s) with an occurrence frequency ratio of 1:3. Large amplitudes are excited in the slug formation and gas blowout stages, and the latter presents more violent vibration with a faster travelling waves’ propagation speed. When the gas superficial velocity increases while maintaining the liquid superficial velocity, the transition stage is significantly elongated, characterized by the alternate appearance of partially filled gas–liquid mixture and short liquid slugs. Nevertheless, each liquid slug, no matter it is long or short, makes its contribution to the vibration response, presenting the coincidence of the recurrence frequency and the vibration frequency. The response amplitude is associated with the liquid slug length as well as the location of liquid inventory. The contributions of the three regimes (SSII, short liquid slugs and partially filled mixtures) are mainly associated with their occupied time. The severe slugging is the predominant contributor at vsg≤ 0.708 m/s, while its contribution is negligible at higher gas superficial velocities.

Taylor bubble formation and flowing in a straight millimetric channel with a cross-junction inlet geometry. Part I: Bubble dynamics

• Taylor bubble formation dynamics were studied at a cross-junction. • Filling and squeezing stage frequencies were not controlled by the same parameters. • Gas finger lengths were measured to identify different bubble pinch-off patterns. • A simple relationship linking relative bubble lengths with j G 0 / j L was established. The investigations of bubble formation dynamics at a cross-junction in a straight milli-channel were reported. The bubble formation process could be divided into the filling and squeezing stages, and their frequencies were compared at various conditions. It was found that the filling and squeezing frequencies were controlled mainly by the gas and liquid superficial velocities, respectively. The bubble formation frequencies could be related to the gas-liquid superficial velocity ratios, the liquid superficial velocities, and the bubble length. The bubble formation process was then analyzed considering the length of the gas finger right after the bubble pinch-off. Two patterns were identified depending on whether the pinch-off occurred inside of the cross-junction or not. The transition between these two patterns was described by a critical liquid Capillary number. Furthermore, the squeezing and dripping patterns were distinguished as the gas finger could fully block the channel or not. The transitions between the bubble formation patterns were determined by the gas Weber number and liquid Capillary number. Finally, the bubble length, the liquid slug length, and the bubble length normalized by the unit cell length could all be predicted based on the gas-liquid superficial velocity ratios η 0 .

Reaction rate enhancement of three‐phase hydrogenation using the Taylor flow reactor

AbstractA gas–liquid–solid three‐phase reaction was conducted in a Taylor flow reactor to improve the apparent reaction rate by enhancing the mass transfer rate of the gas component to the surface of the solid catalyst through the liquid. Hydrogenation of α‐methyl styrene (AMS) was the model reaction. The reactor was an aluminum tube with a length of 300 mm and an inner diameter of 4 mm. A thin alumina layer was formed on the inner wall and palladium was used as the catalyst. Hydrogen and AMS were introduced into a T‐joint installed at the upper stream of the reactor to form a gas–liquid Taylor flow. The AMS conversion obtained using the Taylor flow was higher than that obtained without the flow. To examine the effect of the hydrogen absorption promotion by the circulating flow in the AMS slug, the total flow rate of the reactants was varied whereas the length of the gas and liquid slugs was maintained. Although the absorption increased owing to the faster surface renewal, only a slight improvement was observed. Conversely, when the total flow rate was fixed and the ratio of the gas slug length to the liquid slug length was increased, the apparent reaction rate improved significantly. These results indicate that diffusion in the thin liquid film directly toward the solid catalyst on the reactor wall was dominant for enhancing the reaction rate.

A transient analysis of slug flow in a horizontal pipe using slug tracking model: Void and pressure wave

In the oil and gas industry, the transient flow arises in daily situations, such as the start-up and shutdown of lines, pigging, artificial lifting, and drilling operations. These disturbances affect the temporal behavior of pressure and void fraction, which could cause separator flooding, system vibration, and production line facilities damage. Nevertheless, there are few numerical studies to describe this phenomenon. In this article, the transient slug flow is studied using the slug tracking model, which predicts the transient behavior and the evolution of slug flow properties. This study demonstrates the slug tracking model's capability to reproduce the transient flow as well as the pressure and void fraction wave's behavior and velocity. Experimental data presented by Maria and Rosa, 2016 were used to assess the model performance. The experimental data show a 6.0 s time delay between the two steady states. This time delay does not influence the void fraction wave, and its numerical maximum deviation is 9.0%. On the other hand, the numerical performance for the pressure wave velocity depends on the time delay. Using the experimental time delay, the maximum deviation for the pressure wave velocity is 6.8%. The slug tracking model is combined with a mass–dashpot–spring analogy to avoid the experimental time delay dependency. Using this methodology, the maximum deviation for pressure wave velocity is 8.2%. Some slug flow properties, such as the bubble nose translational velocity, the bubble and liquid slug lengths, are also compared to experimental data. The comparison is for averaged values and statistical distribution. The bubble nose velocities and pressure deviations are less than 1.5%, while the bubble and liquid slug lengths deviations are 4.1% and 5.3%, respectively. Most slug flow parameters have normal statistical distribution, but slug length follows a close to log-normal distribution. The model reproduces this behavior.

Statistical analysis of Taylor bubble formation in a capillary pipe

An experimental study of the Taylor regime in a pipe with an inner diameter of 2 mm has been carried out. A method for studying the Taylor regime in a capillary pipe using automatic image analysis to measure the main characteristics of bubbles has been developed and applied for the first time. The dependences of the gas bubble and liquid slug lengths on the gas and liquid velocities are studied. It was found that in the region of the stable Taylor regime, the standard deviation of the bubble sizes is close to the accuracy of the research method. The dispersion of the bubble size distribution increases near the regime boundary. It is shown that, based on the statistical analysis of a large amount of data, it can be concluded that there is a coalescence and fragmentation of bubbles. Keywords: capillary pipe, two-phase flow, Taylor regime, statistical analysis.

Статистический анализ формирования пузыря Тейлора в капиллярной трубке

An experimental study of the Taylor regime in a pipe with an inner diameter of 2 mm has been carried out. A method for studying the Taylor regime in a capillary pipe using automatic image analysis to measure the main characteristics of bubbles has been developed and applied for the first time. The dependences of the gas bubble and liquid slug lengths on the gas and liquid velocities are studied. It was found that in the region of the stable Taylor regime, the standard deviation of the bubble sizes is close to the accuracy of the research method. The dispersion of the bubble size distribution increases near the regime boundary. It is shown that based on the statistical analysis of a large amount of data, it can be concluded that there is a coalescence and fragmentation of bubbles.

Experimental study of hydrodynamic parameters regarding on geyser boiling phenomenon in glass thermosyphon using wire-mesh sensor

The thermosyphon is a type of heat exchanger that has been widely used in many applications. The use of thermosyphons has been intensified in recent years, mainly in the manufacture of solar collectors and various industrial activities. A thermosyphon is a vertical sealed tube filled with a working fluid, consisting of, from bottom to top, by an evaporator, an adiabatic section, and a condenser. The study of geyser-boiling phenomena, which occurs inside the thermosyphon is of extreme importance, therefore the experimental analysis of the parameters related to the two-phase flow (liquid-steam), such as void fraction, bubble frequency, bubble velocity, and bubble length are necessary, since these parameters have a significant influence on heat transfer. In this work, a pair of wire mesh sensors was used, a relative innovative technology to obtain experimental values of the reported quantities for measuring these parameters of slug flow in thermosyphons. An experimental set-up is assembled and the sensors are coupled to the thermosyphon enabling the development of the experimental procedure. Here is presented an experimental study of a glass thermosyphon instrumented with two wire-mesh sensors, in which the aforementioned slug flow hydrodynamic parameters inherent to the geyser type boiling process are measured. It was measured successfully, as a function of the heat load (110, 120, 130, 140, and 150 W), the void fraction (instantly and average), liquid film thickness, translation velocity of the elongated bubbles, lengths of the bubbles, and the liquid slug (displaced by the bubble rise up). It was observed that the higher the heat load, the lower is the bubble translation velocity. For all heat loads, based on the measured length of liquid slug (consequent displacement of liquid volume), caused by bubbles rise from evaporator to condenser, it could be affirmed to some extent that both boiling regime (pool and film) exist in the evaporator. The measured average void fraction (80%) and liquid film thickness (around 2.5 mm) during the elongated bubble passages were approximately constant and independent of the heat load.

Interaction between multiple bubbles in microchannel flow boiling and the effects on heat transfer

Flow boiling in microchannels have widely been studied in order to design more efficient cooling systems with numerical simulations forming a crucial part to deal with the areas that cannot be investigated experimentally. Previously published research largely focussed on the behaviour of a single bubble. Here, we focus on the behaviour of multiple bubbles. In this study, the influence of the distance between the bubbles (liquid slug length) is investigated in both an axisymmetric and a planar domain for two and three bubbles present. In this regard, an interface-tracking adaptive mesh refinement model was implemented to improve simulation time. Results show that the heat transfer was improved with sequential bubbles, and a 50% increase in heat transfer coefficient was observed for the cases investigated with three bubbles present. The heat transfer also improved the closer the bubbles were together.

Experimental investigation of flow and pressure drop characteristics of air-oil slug flow in a horizontal tube

This study examines two-phase flow and pressure drop characteristics associated with slug flow in a tube with an inner diameter of 4 cm. Experiments are conducted using air and low viscosity mineral oil as working fluids at atmospheric pressure and two different oil temperatures, 25 and 45°C. The superficial gas and liquid velocities are in the range of 0.33–2.43 m/s and 0.20–1.20 m/s, respectively. Flow visualization images and temporal records of pressure drop oscillation are presented for different gas and liquid superficial velocities. The relevant flow parameters associated with slug flow, such as the elongated bubble velocity, elongated bubble length, liquid slug length, and liquid film thickness, are measured, and the relationship between the slug flow parameters and the superficial gas and liquid velocities is investigated. The measured pressure gradient data are also compared to predictions of previous homogeneous equilibrium models and semi-empirical correlations for two-phase frictional pressure gradient. A theoretical slug flow model for predicting the total pressure gradient of slug unit is presented using empirical correlations for the slug flow parameters. The new model accurately predicts the experimental pressure gradient data, evidenced by an overall mean absolute error of 19.3%.

Severe slug flow-induced nonlinear dynamic behavior of a flexible catenary riser

An experiment is conducted in a small-scale air–water test loop to investigate the severe slug flow-induced vibration of a flexible catenary riser of aspect ratio (the riser length over its internal diameter) 200. The vibration displacement of the catenary riser as well as the internal flow features is simultaneously captured by high-speed cameras. Three stages are observed during a cycle of severe slugging in the riser, including the slug formation, gas blowout, and transition stages. The spatial-temporal dynamic behavior of the flexible catenary riser is closely related to the stage of severe slug flow, liquid slug length, and liquid inventory along the riser, presenting a resonance between the oscillation and the fluid pressure fluctuation.