Umudike Journal of Engineering and Technology

Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike


DRIFT-FLUX MODEL ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECT OF THE GAS SUPERFICIAL VELOCITY ON THE PRESSURE DROP OF A GAS LIQUID-LIQUID DOWNWARD FLOW IN A PIPE
Ntunde D. I.
Mechanical Engineering Department Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, Abia State.



ABSTRACT

A drift-flux flow model was developed and simulated from the measured input flow rate of experimental procedures of a three-phase downward flow of CO2-water-kerosene in a pipe to study the effect of the CO2 gas velocity on the pressure drop for the flow process. The model utilised the calculated superficial velocity of CO2 found between 0.452 and 32.868m/s; and the liquid phases of water and oil velocities found between 0.008889 and 13.0734m/s for 20, 50, 70 and 90% water cuts (WCs) in a vertical test-section pipe. The studied drift-flux model revealed that an increase in the gas superficial velocity increased the pressure drop due to the wall friction and the interfacial forces, where the latter was greater for all WCs of the multiphase flow process. However, an increased in the WCs of the flow process resulted to a decrease in the interfacial force among three-phases. It was established that the general effect of the gas phase velocity contributed 20% to the total pressure drop experienced in the studied three-phase flow system for all WCs. These preceding inferences generally provided an adequate understanding for the industrial application of the studied flow modelling technique to meet emerging demands.


Keywords: Three-phase, Pressure drop, Drift-flux, Superficial velocity, Water-cuts.


https://doi.org/10.33922/j.ujet_v6i1_12
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Published
Monday, June 01, 2020
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Vol. 6 No. 1, June 2020
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