mechanistic model for roll waves for two-phase pipe flow

• Published in: AIChE journal Vol. 55; no. 11; pp. 2788 - 2795
• Main Authors: Johnson, George W, Bertelsen, Arnold F, Nossen, Jan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.11.2009; Wiley; American Institute of Chemical Engineers
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Chemical engineering; Exact sciences and technology; Fluid mechanics; Gas flow; Heat transfer; Hydrodynamics of contact apparatus; multiphase flow; Pipes; transport; Gas liquid interface; Transport process; Holdup; Pipe flow; Multiphase flow; Friction coefficient; Two fluid model; Pressure gradient; transport; fluid mechanics; Modeling
• ISSN: 0001-1541; 1547-5905
• DOI: 10.1002/aic.11826

A new two-phase roll wave model is compared with data from high pressure two-phase stratified pipe flow experiments. Results from 754 experiments, including mean wave speed, wave height, pressure gradient, holdup and wave length, are compared with theoretical results. The model was able to predict these physical quantities with good accuracy without introducing any new empirically determined quantities to the two-fluid model equations. This was possible by finding the unique theoretical limit for nonlinear roll amplitude and applying a new approach for determining the friction factor at the gas-liquid interface. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009