Two-Phase Gas/Liquid Pipe Flow

Ron Darby PhD, PE

Professor Emeritus, Chemical Engineering
Texas A&M University

Types of Two-Phase Flow

Solid-Gas
Solid-Liquid
Gas-Liquid
Liquid-Liquid

Gas-Liquid Flow Regimes

Homogeneous
Highly Mixed
Pseudo Single-Phase
High Reynolds Number

Dispersed Many Possibilities

Horizontal Pipe Flow
Vertical Pipe Flow

Horizontal Dispersed Flow Regimes

Vertical Pipe Flow Regimes

Horizontal Pipe Flow Regime Map

1/ 2

G L

A W
W

L
W

W L
2

1/ 2

Vertical Pipe Flow Regime Map

DEFINITIONS
Mass Flow Rate m , Volume Flow Rate (Q)

m m L mG LQL G QG
Mass Flux (G):

m m L mG
G

GL GG
A
A
A

Volume Flux (J):

J J L JG

GL

QL QG

Vm
A
Volume Fraction Gas:

Vol. Fraction Liquid:

GG

1-

Phase Velocity:

JL
VL
1

VG

JG

Slip Ratio (S): Mass Fraction Gas (Quality x):

VG
S
VL

mG
x
mG m L

Mass Flow Ratio Gas/Liquid:

G
mG
x

S
mL 1 - x
L

1 -

Density of Two-Phase Mixture:

m G 1 L
where

x S 1 x G / L
is the volume fraction of gas in the mixture

Holdup (Volume Fraction Liquid):

S 1 x G / L

x S 1 x G / L

Slip (S)
Occurs because the gas expands
and speeds up relative to the liquid.
It depends upon fluid properties and
flow conditions.
There are many models for slip
(or holdup) in the literature.

Hughmark (1962) slip correlation

Either horizontal or vertical flow:

1 K 1 x / x G / L
S
K 1 x / x G / L
where

K 1 0.12 / Z
ZN

1/ 6
Re

1/ 8
Fr

0.95

19

/ 1

1/ 4

HOMOGENEOUS GAS-LIQUID PIPE

FLOW
Energy Balance (Engq Bernoulli Eqn)
2

2 f mG
dx
dz
2
G GL
m g
m D
dL
dL
dP

dL
2 dG
1 xG
dP
where

GL G L 1 / G 1 / L

For frozen flow (no phase change):

dx
0
dL
If xG 2 dG 1 flow is choked.
dP

For ideal gas:

1
G
P P

P
G
,

1 kP
P s

1/ k
1
1 k / k

For frozen ideal gas/liquid choked flow:

G cm

m kP

For flashing flow (Clausius-Clapeyron eqn):

cT
G
P

T
2
GL p
2
GL

Homogeneous Horizontal Flow

2 fm

G
dL GLdx m dz
m D

dP
2
1 xG dG / dP
2

Flashing Flow - Determine x from (adiabatic)

energy balance (or thermo properties database):

c p To Ts
GL

Finite Difference Solution solve for L

D
2

2
L P

gZ
/

fit
2

4 fm
G

Dimensionless
4 f m L
2

*2
K fit - G gZ / Po o *2
D
G

where

P / Po
G* G /

Po o G o / Po

/ o o /

L= L i
i

 the pipe inclination angle

Using Z Lcos , where is
with the vertical
for horizontal cos = 0
for vertical up flow cos = 1
for vertical down flow cos = -1
*2
*2

/
G

4 f m L
fit

D
1 gD cos / 4 fPo o

Procedure:

Find G, Given L, Po and Pe

Select desired P and determine at each

pressure step from Po to Pe
Assume a value for G*
Calculate L at each pressure step.
At choke point, L 0
Adjust until L L

Ex: Flashing Water in Pipe

Given:

G , Po ,To , xo , so .Go , Lo

Calculate: Pressure Drop over L

1.
2.
3.

Assume a value for dL L;

Est. f m fn DG / m (Moody, Churchill, ~0.005)

m fn L , G , x , S
1
1
4. P1 Po P1 x1 ,Ts1 , G 1 , L1 s x1 ,GL

1
G1 L1
5.

P1

G 2 2 f m L / m D
,

P2

P2 P1 P2

Choked if

Separated Pipe Flows

Each Phase Occupies a Specific Fraction of
the Flow Area

Two-Phase Multiplier for friction loss:

P
P
2
L R L

fm

fR

Reference Single-Phase Flow:

R = L Total flow is liquid: GL mm / A G
R = G Total flow is gas: GG mm / A G
R = LGmTotal flow is liquid in mixture:
GLm 1 x G
R = GGm Total flow is gas in the mixture

GGm xG

Lockhart-Martinelli (1949)
P
P
2
L Lm L

fLm
or:

P
P
2
L Gm L

fGm

L-M Two-Phase Multipliers

2
Lm

C 1
1 2

2
Gm

1 C

State

Liquid

tt
vt
tv
vv

turbulent
laminar
turbulent
laminar

Gas
turbulent
turbulent
laminar
laminar

C
20
12
10
5

L-M Correlating Parameter

P
P

L f Lm L fGm
2

2 f Lm 1 x G
P

L D
L fLm
2

2 fGm x G
P

G D
L fGm
2

Friction Factors
f Lm is based on liquid only Reynolds No.

N ReLm

1 x GD
L

f Gm is based on gas-only Reynolds No.

N ReGm

xGD
=
mG

Duckler et al. (1964)

2
Lm

and

2
Gm

where

1 , are no slip values

and
1

ln
1.281 0.478 ln 0.444 ln
2

0.094 ln 0.00843 ln
3

m
2

G 1

1 m

The Reynolds Number is based on mixture

properties:

N Rem

DG

Sizing Relief Valves

for Two-Phase Flow

m
A
Gvalve

Gvalve K d Gidea l nozzzle

Assume Homogeneous Gas-Liquid

Mixture in an Isentropic Nozzle

dP
G K d n 2

P
o

Pn

1/ 2

Discharge Coefficient ( K d )
Values given by manufacturer, or in the Red Book

If flow is choked (critical) use :

K d ,gas
If flow is not choked (sub-critical) use :

K d ,liquid

TWO-PHASE DENSITY

G 1 L
Where is the volume fraction of gas:

x S 1 x G / L
x = mass fraction of gas phase (quality).
S = slip ratio = vG / vL = (fn(x, L/ G, etc)

Flashing Flow

Non-Equilibrium If L 10 cm
Flashing is not complete if L 10 cm
In this case, use

L
x xo xe xo
10
L = nozzle length (cm)
xo = initial quality entering nozzle
x e = local quality assuming equilibrium

If xo > 0.05, x = xe

Determine Quality,

xe fn( P )

The quality is determined as a function

of pressure by an energy balance on
the fluid along the flow path.

The path is usually assumed to be

isentropic.

HDI Homogeneous Direct Integration

Exact Solution Based on Numerical Finite
Difference Equivalent of Nozzle Equation

dP
Gn n K d -2

P
o

Pn

1/ 2

n K d -4

j n-1

j o

Pj 1 - Pj

j1 j

Required Information:
vs P at constant s from Po to Pn in increments of
Pj to Pj+1 .
Can be generated from an EOS or from a
database (e.g. steam tables).
(If choked, Gn Gmax at Pn=Pc)

1/ 2

Experimental Data
TABLE I
VALVE SPECIFICATIONS
(Lenzing, et al, 1997, 1998)
Valve

KdG

KdL

Orifice Dia.
(mm)

Orifice Area

B&R DN25/40
(Bopp &
Reuther Si63)

0.86

0.66

20

0.4869

ARI DN25/40
(Albert Richter
901/902)

0.81

0.59

22.5

0.6163

1 x 2 E
(Crosby
JLT/JBS)
Leser DN25/40
(441)

0.962

0.729

13.5

0.2219

0.77

0.51

23

0.6440

TABLE II
FLOW CONDITIONS
(Lenzing, et al, 1997, 1998)

Fluid

Nom. Pressure
(bar)

(psia)

(psia)

Air/Water

72.495

14.644

Air/Water

115.993

14.644

Air/Water

10

144.991

14.644

Steam/Water

5.4

78.295

14.644

Steam/Water

6.8

98.594

14.644

Steam/Water

115.993

14.644

Steam/Water

10.6

153.690

14.644

Po

Pb

Air-Water (Frozen) Flow

Four Different Valves
Three Different Pressures

Calc 5 bar

ARI DN25/40, Air/Water

Data 5 bar

25000

Calc 8 bar
Data 8 bar

K dG (kg/s m2)

20000
15000
10000
5000

0.0001

0.001

0.01
xo

0.1

Calc 5 bar

LESER DN25/40, Air/Water

Data 5 bar
Calc 8 bar

25000

Data 8 bar

K dG (kg/s m 2)

20000

Calc 10 bar
Data 10 bar

15000
10000
5000

0.0001

0.001

0.01

xo

0.1

Calc 5 bar

B&R DN25/40, Air/Water

Data 5 bar
Calc 8 bar

35000

Data 8 bar

K dG (kg/s m2)

30000

Calc 10 bar
Data 10 bar

25000
20000
15000
10000
5000
0

0.0001

0.001

0.01
xo

0.1

Crosby 1x2 E, Air/Water

Calc 5 bar
Data 5 bar

25000

K dG (kg/s m 2)

20000

15000

10000

5000

0.0001

0.001

0.01

xo

0.1

HNDI Homogeneous Non-Equilibrium

Direct Integration
For flashing flows, equilibrium is not reached
until flow path length reaches 10 cm or more.

For L<10 cm, quality (x = gas mass

fraction) is lower than it would be at
equilibrium (xe).
For L < 10 cm, quality is estimated from

x = xo + xe - xo L / 10
where xo is the initial (L = 0) quality (L in cm)

If xo > 0.05, x = xe

Steam-Water Flashing
(non-Equilibrium) Flow
One Valve - Leser 25/40

Four Different Pressures

Leser DN25/40 Valve, Steam/Water, 5.4 bar

5000

Data

KdG(kg/sm2)

4500

HDI

4000

HNDI L=40mm

3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
0.001

0.01

0.1

xo

Leser Valve DN25/40, Steam/Water, 6.8 bar

7000

Data

HDI

6000

KdG(kg/sm2)

HNDI L=40mm

5000
4000
3000

2000
1000
0
0.001

0.01

0.1

xo

Leser Valve DN25/40, Steam/Water, 8 bar

8000

Data
HDI

7000

HNDI L=40mm

KdG (kg/sm2)

6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0

0.001

0.01

0.1

xo

Leser Valve DN25/40, Steam/Water, 10.6 bar

K dG (kg/sm 2)

9000

Data

8000

HDI

7000

HNDI L=40mm

6000
5000
4000
3000
2000

1000
0
0.001

0.01

0.1

xo

SUMMARY/MORAL
Two-Phase Flow is much more complex
than single phase flow, because of the
wide variety of possible flow regimes,
phase distributions, thermo/mechanical
equilibrium/non-equilibrium, etc.
Correlations are complex and limited in
scope.
Analysis requires good understanding of
flow mechanism.

References
Baker, O., Simultaneous Flow of Oil and Gas, Oil & Gas J.,
53:185-195, 1954
Darby, R., Fluid Mechanics for Chemical Engineers, 2nd Ed.,
Ch. 15, Marcel Dekker, 2001
Darby, R., F.E. Self and V.H. Edwards, Properly Size Pressure
Relief Valves for Two-Phase Gas/Liquid Flow, Chemical
Engineering, 109, no. 6, pp 68-74, June, (2002)
Darby, R., On Two-Phase Frozen and Flashing Flows in Safety
Relief Valves, Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process
Industries, v. 17, pp 255-259, (2004)

Refs (contd)
Darby,R, F.E. Self and V.H. Edwards, Methodology for Sizing Relief Valves
for Two-Phase Gas/Liquid Flow, Proceedings of the Process Plant
Safety Symposium, 2001, AIChE National Meeting, Houston, TX, April
2001
Duckler, A.E, M. Wicks III and R.G. Cleveland, Frictional Pressure Drop
in Two-Phase Flow: A Comparison of Existing Correlations for Pressure
Loss and Holdup, AIChE J., 10:38-43, 1964
Govier, G.W. and K. Aziz, The Flow of Complex Mixtures in Pipes, Van
Nostrand Reinhold Co., 1972
Hughmark, G.A., Holdup in Gas-Liquid Flow, CEP, 58(4), 62-65, l962
Lockhart, R.W., and R.C. Martinelli, Proposed Correlation of Data for
Isothermal Two-Phase, Two-Component Flow in Pipes, CEP, 45(1), 3948, 1949

Questions??