Prediction of Pressure Drops in Liquid-Liquid Two-Phase Flow Across Circular Channels

Abstract

Mechanistic models are necessary for understanding and predicting the behavior of liquid-liquid flow for multiple pipe dimensions, mixture properties, and flow patterns. In this paper, a mechanistic model is proposed to calculate pressure drop across circular channels for liquid-liquid two-phase flow. The developed model considers several key aspects of liquid-liquid flow, such as mixed and wavy liquid-liquid interfaces and dispersion within each liquid’s layers. Unique identifiers, such as height, turbulence, and dispersion, are calculated for each phase, using an augmented separated flow model and nonlinear optimization. Comparison of the proposed model with experimental data, comprising of multiple inclination angles and flow patterns, shows accurate predictions for a variety of liquid-liquid flow patterns, including double- and triple-layered flow.