An experimental and theoretical investigation has been carried out on two-phase annular flow in inclined pipes. The study focused on the effect of the inclination angle on the liquid film thickness distribution. A conductance multiprobe instrument was utilized to measure the local liquid film thickness around half of the pipe periphery for inclination angles of 90°, 75°, 60°, and 45°from the horizontal. A simple analytical model has been developed for the prediction of the liquid film thickness at the top and bottom of the pipe. The model is applicable for the entire range of inclination angles, from horizontal to vertical. Good agreement is observed between the prediction of the model and the experimental data collected in this study and from the literature. Experimental ProgramDetails of the experimental facility used in this study are given by Paz. 27 The following is a brief description of the test facility and the instrumentation. Fig. 1. The left side shows the metering section of the liquid ͑water͒ phase, while the right side shows the metering line for the gas ͑air͒ phase. The test section is shown in the middle. It consists of a 9-ft ͑2.74-m͒ long, 2-in. ͑51-mm͒ inner diameter ͑ID͒ R-4000 polyvinyl chloride ͑PVC͒ transparent pipe. The gas and liquid phases from the respective metering sections are introduced into a mixing tee at the bottom of the test section. The mixture flows upward in the form of annular flow, passes through the conductance multiprobe instrument ͑CMPI͒ where film thickness distribution measurements are taken, and finally exits from the top into an atmospheric pressure tank for separation. The test section is capable of rotating through the entire range of inclination angles. Experimental Facility. A schematic description of the experimental test facility is shown inConductance MultiProbe Instrument. The local film thickness distribution was measured utilizing a CMPI. This instrument has been used extensively by other researchers. 12,[20][21][22][23]25 The CMPI consists of a 3.5-ft. ͑1.07-m͒ long section of 2-in. ͑51-mm͒ diam-*Now with Petró leos de Venezuela S.A.
An experimental and theoretical investigation has been carried out on two-phase annular flow in inclined pipes. The study focused on the effect of the inclination angle on the liquid film thickness distribution. A conductance multi-probe instrument was utilized to measure the local liquid film thickness around half of the pipe periphery for inclination angles of 90, 75, 60, and 45 from the horizontal. A simple analytical model has been developed for the prediction of the liquid film thickness at the top and bottom of the pipe. The model is applicable for the entire range of inclination angles, from horizontal to vertical. Good agreement is observed between the prediction of the model and the experimental data collected in this study and from the literature. Introduction Annular flow is one of the most common flow patterns encountered in natural gas wellbores and pipelines. It occurs under conditions of high gas flow rates and low to medium liquid flow rates. The liquid flows as a film around the pipe wall, surrounding a high velocity core, which may contain entrained liquid droplets. The interface between the gas core and the liquid film is very wavy, and atomization and deposition of liquid droplets occur through this interface. Most of the experimental and theoretical studies on annular flow have been carried out either for vertical or for horizontal conditions. Changes in the physical phenomena occur as the inclination angle varies from vertical through off-vertical to horizontal flow conditions. Under vertical flow conditions, the liquid film distribution is uniform around the pipe periphery. As the pipe is inclined from the vertical to off-vertical, the film thickness distribution is no longer uniform. Due to gravity, the liquid phase tends to accumulate at the bottom part of the pipe. This results in a thicker film at the bottom and a thinner film at the top. P. 257^
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