Experimental Characterization of Slug Flow Velocity Distribution in Two Phase Pipe Flow

Abstract

This paper presents an experimental study of gas-liquid slug flow inside a horizontal pipe. The influence of air bubble passage on liquid flow is characterized using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) combined with Refractive Index Matching (RIM) and fluorescent tracers. A physical insight into the velocity distribution within slug flow is presented. It was observed that the slug flow significantly influences the velocity profile in the liquid film. Measured velocity distributions also revealed a significant drop in the velocity magnitude immediately upstream of the slug nose. These findings aim to aid an understanding of the mechanism of solid transportation in slug flows.