Near-wall and interfacial studies of gas-liquid horizontal stratified flows

In multiphase systems, the pressure drop and liquid holdup are two governing parameters which heavily influence the design of downstream facilities and selection of pipeline sizes. In stratified pipe flow, the determination of both these parameters requires an accurate prediction of the wall and interfacial shear stresses. In this report, a detailed literature review is presented in the research area of near-wall and interfacial studies of gas-liquid stratified pipe flows. Gaps in literature concerning the circumferential distribution of the wall and interfacial shear stresses are uncovered, and the novelty element of future work is delineated in the context of laser-based diagnostic techniques. Descriptions are provided on the recommissioning of the TOWER flow facility, which now has the provision to perform gas-liquid flow experiments, from what was originally a liquid-liquid only facility. A cooling system has also been incorporated to enable low-temperature two-phase flow experiments An adiabatic gas-liquid phase flow experiment was carried out using air and water as the test fluids, in an 8.5m long, 50 mm internal diameter ETFE pipe. The water flow rate and air flow rate used ranged from 5-65 L/min and 63- 375 L/min, respectively. Three Differential Pressure transmitter (DP1, DP2, and DP3) were used to evaluate pressure gradient, and a highspeed camera was used to observe the flow structure.Open Acces