An Explicit Analytical Solution for Transient Two-Phase Flow in Inclined Fluid Transmission Lines

Abstract

Due to the complex nonlinearity characteristics, analytical modeling of compressible flow in inclined transmission lines remains a challenge. This paper proposes an analytical model for one-dimensional flow of a two-phase gas-liquid fluid in inclined transmission lines. The proposed model is comprised of a steady-state two-phase flow mechanistic model in-series with a dynamic single-phase flow model. The two-phase mechanistic model captures the steady-state pressure drop and liquid holdup properties of the gas-liquid fluid. The developed dynamic single-phase flow model is an analytical model comprised of rational polynomial transfer functions that are explicitly functions of fluid properties, line geometry, and inclination angle. The accuracy of the fluid resonant frequencies predicted by the transient flow model is precise and not a function of transmission line spatial discretization. Therefore, model complexity is solely a function of the number of desired modes. The dynamic single-phase model is applicable for under-damped and over-damped systems, laminar, and turbulent flow conditions. The accuracy of the overall two-phase flow model is investigated using the commercial multiphase flow dynamic code OLGA. The mean absolute error between the two models in step response overshoot and settling time is less than 8% and 2 s, respectively.