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Analysis of slug tracking model for gas–liquid flows in a pipe

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Journal of the Brazilian Society of Mechanical Sciences and Engineering Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This work focuses on the physical representativeness of slug tracking models. The numerical analyses are supported by a detailed experimental campaign in a horizontal test section with 900 pipe diameters long. The analyses address: (a) the model’s performance in predicting averaged slug flow properties, (b) the bubble overtaking mechanism and the slug flow sensitivity to the wake function, (c) the slug flow sensitivity to the slug insertion process, (d) the capture of the slug’s evolution in flows with distinct slug formation processes and (e) the inclusion of the advection term and the induced slug oscillations. The work presents a compressible, one-dimensional slug tracking model satisfying the mass and momentum equations. The equations are presented in a unified fashion to handle horizontal and inclined gas–liquid flows. The model embodies all terms introduced by the previous models and includes the advection term, so far neglected. The analyses, despite of being supported by the present numerical model, are not constrained to this model, but apply to slug tracking models in general.

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Abbreviations

A :

Pipe cross-sectional area

C av :

Average coalescence rate

C 0 :

Drift flux parameter

C ∞ :

Drift flux parameter

f :

Slug frequency

Fr :

Froude number

g :

Gravity acceleration

h f :

Liquid film thickness

j :

Cell number

J :

Mixture superficial velocity

J L :

Liquid superficial velocity

J G :

Gas superficial velocity

L :

Pipe length

L f :

Liquid film length

L S :

Liquid slug length

\(\dot{m}\) :

Mass flow rate

R f :

Liquid film holdup

R S :

Liquid slug holdup

u d :

Dispersed bubble drift velocity

U b :

Gas-phase velocity within the slug

U f :

Liquid-phase velocity within the film

U G :

Gas velocity above the film

U S :

Liquid-phase velocity within slug

U M :

Mixture velocity

x :

Liquid slug front

y :

Bubble nose front

z :

Pipe axial coordinate

λ :

Liquid film interfacial angle

μ :

Dynamic viscosity

ξ :

Centroid coordinates

ρ :

Density

θ :

Pipe angle with the horizontal

σ :

Surface tension

τ :

Wall shear stress

G:

Gas phase

L:

Liquid phase

M:

Gas–liquid mixture

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the receipt of financial support from Petrobras. They also wish to thank to Dr Fagundes Netto from Petrobras for bringing the theme under our attention.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mechanical Engineering Faculty, State University of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil

    E. S. Rosa & R. A. Mazza

  2. Federal Technological University of Paraná, Paraná, Brazil

    R. E. Morales & C. Cozin

  3. PETROBRAS, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    H. T. Rodrigues

Authors
  1. E. S. Rosa
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  2. R. A. Mazza
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  3. R. E. Morales
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  4. H. T. Rodrigues
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  5. C. Cozin
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to E. S. Rosa.

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Technical Editor: Francisco Ricardo Cunha.

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Rosa, E.S., Mazza, R.A., Morales, R.E. et al. Analysis of slug tracking model for gas–liquid flows in a pipe. J Braz. Soc. Mech. Sci. Eng. 37, 1665–1686 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40430-015-0331-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40430-015-0331-7

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