Hydrodynamics Behaviour of Slug Flow in 80 0 off the Horizontal Pipe using Electrical Capacitance Tomography (ECT) Data

Abstract

This study presents an investigation of the hydrodynamics behaviour of slug flow in an inclined (80 degree inclination) and 67 mm internal diameter pipe. The study provides a more rudimentary explanation into the physical phenomenon that controls slug flows behaviour and the way these parameters behave under variable flow conditions. Various correlations for determining slug characterisation parameters have also been presented and validated with the experimental data The slug flow regime was generated using multiphase air-silicone oil mixture over a range of gas (0.29 <U SG < 1.42 m/s) and liquid (0.05 < U SL < 0.28 m/s) superficial velocities. Electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) data was used to determine: the velocities of liquid slugs and the Taylor bubble, the void fractions within the Taylor bubbles and the liquid slugs. It is found that structural velocity as reported earlier by Abdulkadir et.al (2014) was strongly dependent on the mixture superficial velocity. A weak relationship was also found between structure velocity and length of Taylor bubble buttressing earlier report by Polonski et.al (1999). The frequency of slugs was determined by power spectral density method. Frequencies of liquid slugs were observed to be fluctuating (i.e. increase and decrease) with gas superficial velocity depending on the flow condition. The behaviour of the characterizing parameters for this work which is for 80 0 pipe inclination except frequency, were found to be in good agreement with that reported earlier by Abdulkadir et.al (2014) which was for 90 0 pipe inclination.