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Lecture 6

The document discusses gas-liquid two-phase flow, including the different flow patterns that can occur both vertically and horizontally. It also presents the momentum equation that can be written and applied to two-phase flow in a pipe. The key flow patterns discussed are bubbly, slug, churn, annular and mist/spray flows. Horizontal flows can exhibit stratified, wavy, slug and annular patterns.

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18 views10 pages

Lecture 6

The document discusses gas-liquid two-phase flow, including the different flow patterns that can occur both vertically and horizontally. It also presents the momentum equation that can be written and applied to two-phase flow in a pipe. The key flow patterns discussed are bubbly, slug, churn, annular and mist/spray flows. Horizontal flows can exhibit stratified, wavy, slug and annular patterns.

Uploaded by

MṜ ΛßßΛS
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Chapter Three

Gas-liquid two phase flow


Introduction
• The flow of gas-liquid mixtures in pipes and other items of process equipment is common and
extremely important.
• In some cases, the quality, that is the mass fraction of gas in the two-phase flow, will vary
very little over a large distance.
• An example of this is the flow in many gas-oil pipelines. In other cases, boiling or
condensation occurs
• The quality may change very significantly although the total mass flow rate remains
constant.
• It is important to appreciate that different flow regimes occur at different gas and liquid
flow rates and differences also occur for different materials.
• In order to have any confidence when calculating pressure losses in two-phase flow it is
necessary to be able to predict the flow regime and then to use an appropriate pressure drop
calculation procedure.
Flow patterns
Vertical Flow: The flow regimes that are obtained in vertical, upward, cocurrent flow at different
gas and liquid flow rates are shown in the below Figure. The sequence shown is that which would
normally be seen as the ratio of gas to liquid flow rates is increased. In the bubbly regime there
is a distribution of bubbles of various sizes throughout the liquid. As the gas flow rate increases,
the average bubble size increases. The next regime occurs when the gas flow rate is increased to
the point when many bubbles coalesce to produce slugs of gas. The gas slugs have spherical
noses and occupy almost the entire cross section of the tube, being separated from the wall by
a thin liquid film. Between slugs of gas there are slugs of liquid in which there may be small
bubbles entrained in the wakes of the gas slugs.
Flow patterns (cont’d)
This well-defined flow pattern is destroyed at higher flow rates and a chaotic type of flow,
generally known as churn flow, is established. Over most of the cross section there is a churning
motion of irregularly shaped portions of gas and liquid. Further increase in the gas flow rate
causes a degree of separation of the phases, the liquid flowing mainly on the wall of the tube
and the gas in the core. Liquid drops or droplets are carried in the core: it is the competing
tendencies for drops to impinge on the liquid film and for droplets to be entrained in the core by
break-up of waves on the surface of the film that determine the flow regime. The main
differences between wispy-annular and the annular flow regimes are that in the former the
entrained liquid is present as relatively large drops and the liquid film contains gas bubbles,
while in the annular flow regime the entrained droplets do not coalesce to form larger
drops.
Flow patterns (cont’d)
Horizontal Flow: Cocurrent gas-liquid flow in horizontal pipes displays similar patterns to those
for vertical flow; however, asymmetry is caused by the effect of gravity, which is most
significant at low flow rates. The sequence of flow regimes identified by Alves (1954) is shown
in the below Figure. In the bubbly regime the bubbles are confined to a region near the top of the
pipe. On increasing the gas flow rate, the bubbles become larger and coalesce to form long
bubbles giving what is known as the plug flow regime. At still higher gas flow rates the gas
plugs join to form a continuous gas layer in the upper part of the pipe. This type of flow, in which
the interface between the gas and the liquid is smooth, is known as the stratified flow regime.
Flow patterns (cont’d)
Owing to the lower viscosity and lower density of the gas it will flow faster than the liquid. As
the gas flow rate is increased further, the interfacial shear stress becomes sufficient to
generate waves on the surface of the liquid producing the wavy flow regime. As the gas flow
rate continues to rise, the waves, which travel in the direction of flow, grow until their crests
approach the top of the pipe and, as the gas breaks through, liquid is distributed over the wall of
the pipe. This is known as the slug regime and should not be confused with the regime of the
same name for vertical flow.
Flow patterns (cont’d)
At higher gas flow rates an annular regime is found as in vertical flow. At very high flow rates the
liquid film may be very thin, the majority of the liquid being dispersed as droplets in the gas core.
This type of flow may be called the spray or mist flow regime. It may be noted that similar flow
regimes can be seen with immiscible liquid systems. If the densities of the two liquids are close
the flow regimes for horizontal flow will more nearly resemble those for vertical flow.
Momentum equation for two-phase flow
The below Figure illustrates a gas-liquid two-phase flow through an inclined pipe. For clarity the
diagram is drawn for stratified flow but the equations to be derived are not limited to that flow
regime. A momentum equation can be written for each phase, but it will be sufficient for the
present purposes to treat the whole flow. In this of case the interfacial shear force 𝜹𝜹𝑭𝑭𝒔𝒔 makes no
direct contribution but it would have to be considered in writing the momentum equation for
either of the phases individually. The net force acting in the positive x-direction is
Momentum equation for two-phase flow (cont’d)
The terms represent the contributions from the total pressure gradient, the frictional drag of
the pipe wall and the hydrostatic head of the two-phase mixture.
Momentum equation for two-phase flow (cont’d)
So,

• In principle, this is the same as for single-phase flow. For example, in steady, fully developed,
isothermal flow of an incompressible fluid in a straight pipe of constant cross section, friction
has to be overcome as does the static head unless the pipe is horizontal, however there is no
change of momentum and consequently the accelerative term is zero.
• In the case of compressible flow, the gas expands as it flows from high pressure to low
pressure and, by continuity, it must accelerate.
• In early chapters (Flow of compressible fluids in conduits) this was noted as an increase in
the kinetic energy.

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