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EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS ON TWO-PHASE FLOW PHENOMENA IN

HORIZONTAL PIPE

Conference Paper · December 2013

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 Proceedings of the Fortieth National Conference on Fluid Mechanics and Fluid Power
December 12-14, 2013, NIT Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh, India
FMFP2013 Paper No. 40

EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS ON TWO-PHASE FLOW PHENOMENA IN

HORIZONTAL PIPE
Krishna Kumar Jignesh P. Thaker Jyotirmay Banerjee
M.Tech Student Research Scholar Associate Professor
MED, SVNIT, Surat, India MED, SVNIT, Surat, India MED, SVNIT, Surat, India
krishnaaero.kumar@gmail.com jignesh.mtech2011@gmail.com jbaner@gmail.com

ABSTRACT observed flow structures, which are defined as two-

Experimental investigations carried out for non- phase flow patterns that have particular identifying
boiling two phase flow through horizontal pipe is characteristics. Two-phase flow exhibits many flow
discussed. The test section is a 25 mm transparent configurations-stratified, slug, plug, wavy, annular
acrylic pipe with a length to diameter ratio of 182. A and dispersed. The prediction of flow patterns is a
total of 240 data points are considered for horizontal central problem in two phase gas-liquid flow in pipes.
position by carefully selecting the liquid and gas Design parameters such as pressure drop and heat and
superficial Reynolds numbers. The superficial mass transfer are strongly dependent on the flow
Reynolds numbers are in the range of 500 to 21,000 pattern. Hence, in order to accomplish a reliable
for water and 560 to 35,000 for air. The design of gas-liquid systems such as pipe lines,
characterization of two-phase flow regimes and their boilers and condensers, a prior knowledge of the flow
transition is thus an important area of research. The patterns is needed.
flow patterns for various regimes of air-water two- Although extensive research on flow patterns has
phase flow are captured experimentally. The been conducted, most of this research has been
development of stratified, wavy, slug, plug and concentrated on either horizontal or vertical flow. For
annular flow regimes are briefly discussed. The horizontal flow the earliest and perhaps the most
transition from stratified to slug flow generates durable of pattern maps for two phase gas-liquid flow
oscillations in pressure and flow rates. A flow pattern was proposed by Baker (1954). Many more have
map is established based on the visualized images. been suggested: Kosterin (1949), Govier and Omer
The developed flow regime map is compared with (1962) and Mandhane et al. (1974). Al-Sheikh et al.
that obtained by Ghajar and Tang (2007). (1970) defined a variety of dimensionless groups and
Keywords: Two-phase flow, Flow patterns, Flow concluded that no two groups characterize all of the
patterns map, Transition. transitions and all of the data. Considerable
theoretical work has been carried out in the past few
INTRODUCTION decades to understand the mechanism of the
Two-phase flow pertains to the interacting flow of transition to intermittent flow. In 1973, Wallis and
two phases whose interface is influenced by motion. Dobson analysed the onset of slugging in horizontal
It occurs in a wide range of natural and industrial and near horizontal gas liquid flows. Taitel & Dukler
situations. For two-phase flows, the respective (1976) proposed a physical model capable of
distribution of the liquid and gas phases in the pipe predicting flow regime transition in horizontal and
flow is an important aspect of their description. Their near horizontal two phase flow. In this work the flow
respective distributions take on some commonly pattern boundaries were predicted analytically. They

1
also explained the formation of slug flow by the
Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. They also proposed a
model for the frequency of slug initiation in 1977. In
1984, one of the early CFD models of turbulent
stratified flow in a horizontal pipe was presented by
Shoham and Taitel. Solutions for turbulent liquid
flows were obtained in horizontal and slightly
inclined pipes of 25.4 mm diameter. In 1986, the
viscous Kelvin-Helmholtz analysis proposed by Lin
and Hanratty generally gives better predictions for
the onset of slug flow. In 1994, Lopez and Strand
conducted two experimental studies and measured
interfacial deformations together with spatial
distributions of velocity field in air–water stratified
flow in a horizontal or slightly inclined pipes.
In 2007, Ghazar and Tang were measured local heat
transfer coefficients and flow parameters for air-
water flow in a pipe in the horizontal and slightly
upward inclined (2◦, 5◦and 7◦) positions. They also
proposed the flow regime map in terms of superficial
Reynolds number of liquid and gas phases. In 2010,
Vaze and Banerjee carried out an experimental
investigation on two-phase flow phenomenon in 25
Fig. 1 Schematic Diagram of Air-Water Two-Phase Flow Setup
2
mm horizontal pipe. They captured flow patterns for
various regimes of air-water two-phase flow
experimentally and established flow pattern map
based on the visualized images. They also analysed
the development of slug and transition to slug flow
from stratified flow using captured images.
The objective of this work is to understand the
transition of flow patterns from stratified to slug flow
by capturing images for a variety of superficial
Reynolds numbers of liquid and gas phases. A flow
pattern map is also established by analysing the
captured images.
EXPERIMENTAL EQUIPMENT AND
PROCEDURE
A schematic diagram of the overall experimental
setup for two phase flow measurements is shown in
Figure 1. The test section is a 25 mm internal
diameter straight standard transparent acrylic pipe
with a length to diameter ratio of 320. The setup rests
atop an 8 m-long two MS channels block supported
by two pivoting foot and a stationary foot that
incorporates a small electric screw jack.
In order to develop various two-phase flow patterns
(by controlling the flow rates of gas and liquid), a
two-phase gas and liquid flow mixer is used as shown
in Figure 2. The mixer consists of a perforated
stainless steel tube (6.21 mm I.D.) inserted into the
liquid stream by means of a tee and a compression
fitting. The end of the stainless steel tube is silver-
soldered. Four holes (3 rows of 1.587 mm, 4 rows of
3.175 mm, and 8 rows of 3.968 mm) are positioned at
90◦ intervals around the perimeter of the tube, and
this pattern is repeated at fifteen equally spaced axial
locations along the length of the stainless steel tube.
The two-phase flow leaving the mixer entered the
transparent calming section.
Fig. 2 Two-phase Gas and Liquid Flow Mixer
The calming section served as a flow developing and
turbulence reduction device and flow pattern
observation section. One end of the calming section
is connected to the test section and the other end of
the calming section is connected to the gas-liquid
mixer. For the horizontal flow measurements, the test
section (see Figure 1) is carefully levelled to
eliminate the effect of inclination on these
measurements.
The fluids used in the test loop are air and water. The
water is distilled and stored in a 1000 litre rectangle
polypropylene tank. Water drawn from the storage
tank is pumped using centrifugal pump made of
‘Grundfos’ having capacity 5 liters/sec and head
60m. The pump can withstand a temperature up to 60
degree. From the storage tank, the water either passes
through a calibrated Flowtech made Rotameter (high
flow rate measurement) whose measuring range is
250-2500 LPH with an accuracy of ±2 % or
3
calibrated orifice meter (low flow rate measurement).
Rotameter and orifice meter are connected in parallel
and water flow is controlled by two ball valves. Once
the water passes through the rotameter or orifice
meter, it then passes through a 25 mm, gate valve that
regulates the amount of flow that entered the test
section. From this point, the water travels through a
25 mm flexible hose, through a ball valve, and into
the test section. Air at room temperature is pumped to
the receiver tank using an ‘Atlas Corpo’ made screw
compressor of capacity 41.5 CFM and maximum
pressure of 7.5 bars. In screw compressor, the air is
drawn through filter and enters into compressor
element through inlet valve. Air delivery from the
compressor receiver tank is controlled by pressure
regulator. The pressure regulator controls the
pressure of air going out and in turn the mass flow
rate. The pressure range of regulator is 0-16 bar. The
air is also filtered here, and condensate is removed in
a coalescing filter. The air flow is measured either by
a calibrated Flowtech made rotameter (high flow
measurement) whose measuring range is 1.9 to 19
CFM or calibrated orificemeter and regulated by a
needle valve. Air is delivered to the test section by
flexible tubing. The water and air mixture is returned
to the reservoir, where it is separated and the water is
recycled.
In this present experimental work, a total of 240 data
points are taken for horizontal position of the pipe by
carefully coordinating the liquid and gas superficial
Reynolds number combinations. The flow is from left
to right. Before starting the experimentation, the pipe
is fully filled with water. The air bubbles coming
from the suction of the waterline are removed totally
by operating the valve of the bypass line.
CHARECTERISTICS OF FLOW PATTERNS
FOR HORIZONTAL FLOW
The designation of flow pattern has been based
largely on individual interpretation of visual
observation. While some instrumental methods of
analysis have been proposed (Hubbard and Dukler,
Jones and Zuber 1975), these are not simple to use
and have thus not found widespread application.
Furthermore, for many purposes of design a simple captured using high speed camera. The visualization
approximation to the location of the gas and liquid zone is at a length to hydraulic diameter ratio of 182
phases suffices as a description. For these reasons it to ensure the growth of fully developed flow patterns.
is important to specify as precisely as possible the
Table 1 Visualized Flow Pattern
features of the flow used to characterize the pattern
designated, and in this work the following apply: Flow Pattern Flow
• Stratified (S): Liquid flows at the bottom of the Photograph
Pattern ReSG ReSL
pipe with gas at the top, interface can either be Name
smooth (SS) or wavy (SW).
• Intermittent (I): In this flow pattern the Stratified 823 708
inventory of liquid in the pipe is non-uniformly
distributed axially. Plugs or slugs of liquid which
fill the pipe are separated by gas zones which Wavy 15140 708
contain a stratified liquid layer flowing along the
bottom of the pipe. The liquid may be aerated by
small bubbles which are concentrated toward the
Slug 823 4951
front of the liquid slug and the top of the pipe.
The intermittent pattern is usually subdivided into
slug (SL) and elongated bubble (EB) flow
patterns, but the distinction between them has not Plug 823 9880
been clearly defined in the past.
• Annular (A): The liquid flows as a film around
the pipe wall. A liquid film surrounds a core of Slug/
8650 3800
high velocity gas which may contain entrained Wavy
liquid droplets. The film at the bottom is normally
thicker than at the top depending on the flow rate Slug/
of liquid and gas. At the lowest gas rates at which 16500 8500
Bubbly
transition to annular from slug flow is observed,
most of the liquid flows at the bottom of the pipe.
The upper walls are intermittently wet by large Annular 29342 3532
aerated, unstable waves sweeping through the
pipe.
• Dispersed bubble (DB): The gas phase is Wavy/
distributed as discrete bubbles within a 20407 4950
Annular
continuous liquid phase. This is defined by the
condition where bubbles are first suspended in the
liquid or elongated bubbles which contact the top Slug/
of the pipe are destroyed. When this first happens Bubbly/ 16779 9218
most bubbles are located near the top of the pipe. Annular
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
• Visualised Flow-Patterns for Horizontal Flow Table 1 shows the different combinations of
Both air and water are brought together in a mixer superficial air Reynolds number and superficial water
and two phases then flow through the visualization Reynolds number for which the flow patterns are
section where various flow patterns are observed and discussed here. The experimentally captured flow

4
patterns are shown in table1. The experimental image demarcated by thick lines for various regimes of two-
two
shows stratified flow pattern at air superficial phase flow is obtained experimentally
exper by Ghajar and
Reynolds number of 823 and water superficial su Tang (2007).
Reynolds number of 708.. The initial perturbations in
the mixing zone due to the turbulence are damped far
awayy and stratification is observed. A perfect
demarcation between air and water phase is
visualized with no pulsation of the interface between
the phases. Interface becomes wavy for a higher air
superficial Reynolds number of 15140 for the same
value of waterr superficial Reynolds number
(ReSL=708)) as in the case of stratified flow. There
still exists a clear demarcation between the air and
water phase.
perficial Reynolds number at 823,
Keeping the air superficial 823
when the water flow rate is increased such that the
superficial liquid Reynolds number reaches to 9880,
9880 Fig. 3 Flow Pattern Map
air pockets are observed in the continuous water In the present experiment, images are captured by
domain. These pockets are called plugs.
plugs These plugs varying the mass flow rate of air and water and the
are smooth in nature. No pulsations are observed. The type of flow pattern is identified. Around 240
plugs move adhering to the top surface of the tube. combinations of mass flow rates are considered. The
For the air superficial
uperficial Reynolds number of 8823 and visual inspections of images show the regime in
the water superficial Reynolds number of 4951, fast which the data points must fall in the flow pattern
moving slugs are observed. A slug consists of liquid map. These points are placed with suitable symbols
cylinder with air dispersion and elongated bubble. on the flow pattern
ttern map of Ghajar and Tang (2007) in
The slugs are different from plugs in its structure
structu Figure 3.
consisting of highly pulsating air bubbles followed by Table 2 Data Points for Flow Pattern Map
water cylinder. For certain values of liquid and gas Flow No. of Data Data Points Falling in
superficial Reynolds number, mixed type of flow Pattern Points Particular Flow Regime
pattern (combination of slug, wavy, bubbly and Stratified 36 36
annular) is observed. Captured images for slug/wavy, Wavy 16 12
slug/bubbly, wavy/annular and slug/bubbly/annular Slug 36 35
are shown in the Table1. Plug 28 20
• Flow Patterns Map for Horizontal Flow Slug/Wavy 22 16
Various flow patterns are visualized by varying mass Annular 30 26
flow rate of both the phases. These flow patterns
p are Wavy/
captured and the flow rates are measured. These flow 34 24
Annular
rates are converted to non-dimensional
dimensional Reynolds Slug/
number corresponding to superficial conditions. An Bubbly/ 38 36
uncertainty analysiss carried out following UKAS Annular
(2009) shows an overall uncertainty of 2.41%
2 with Table 2 shows number of data points considered for
95% of confidence for the estimation of o superficial capturing images in various flow regimes. The data
Reynolds number for both air and water phase in the points which fall in exact regimes
regime are also shown in
experiments. A flow pattern map showing zones table 2.This comparison shows the difference in our

5
experimental results as compared to Ghajar and Tang.
The difference between our experimental results and
those obtained by Ghajar and Tang 2007, is found to
be maximum for slug/bubbly/annular and
wavy/annular flow regime. This is due to difficulty in
distinguishing the flow patterns in the mixed flow
regime. The differences in the wavy flow regime are
due to few points which are falling on the transition
line between wavy stratified and slug patterns. It is
very difficult to decide the type of flow in the
transition regimes.
• Transition from Stratified to Slug Flow
Transition from stratified flow to slug flow is a non-
instantaneous process. Numerous images are captured
at visualization section to show the transition of
stratified flow to slug flow pattern by varying liquid
superficial Reynolds number and keeping the gas
superficial Reynolds number constant. However, for
discussion two gas superficial Reynolds numbers are
selected; lower (ReSG =823) and medium (ReSG
=2633). The liquid superficial Reynolds numbers
vary from 708 to 4242.
Air entry into the domain creates turbulence. After
the mixing zone, due to the density difference, the air
and water phase spreads out. The completely
separated stratified flow is observed in the
visualization section as shown in Figure 4 (a).
A perfect transition line between the two phases is
observed. The liquid superficial Reynolds number
(a)
(c)
Figure 4 Development of Slug for ReSG= 823 for ReSL (a) 708; (b) 2124; (c) 2832; (d) 4242.
6
then increases to 2124. At this stage slug of liquid
cylinder and elongated bubble is observed first time
(Figure 4 (b)). The approximate length of the
elongated bubble is observed to be 4.2m. For the
liquid Reynolds number of 2832 (Figure 4 (c)), the
slug length is observed to be of 2.3m and slug
frequency increase with increasing ReSL. Another
feature observed is the formation of air bubbles at the
tail of a slug. As the liquid superficial Reynolds
number increases to 4242 (Figure 4 (d)), the
entrainment of air bubbles increases and slug length
reduces to 0.9 m. It is observed that for lower ReSL,
slug flows smoothly but for higher ReSL, the slug
becomes pulsative.
CONCLUSION
Various flow patterns are captured experimentally,
and the flow regime map for air–water two-phase
flow is established. In addition, the images captured
enhance the understanding of transition to slug flow.
Transition of stratified flow to slug flow is visualized
for a variety of superficial Reynolds number, and the
physics of development of flow in various regimes is
discussed.
NOMENCLATURE
ReSL superficial liquid Reynolds number
ReSG superficial gas Reynolds number
(b)
(d)
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