Experimental investigation of multiphase separation in different flow regimes through T-junction with an expander section

Abstract

The experimental data for phase separation of the air-water mixture in a T-Junction with the expander section after the branch arm is presented in this work. The main and run arms of the T-junction are directed along the horizontal plane with the branch arm positioned in the vertical plane. The diameter of the main arm is 74 mm, with diameter ratio(s) of, 0.67, and 0.33 in relation to branch arm. At the inlet section of the T-junction, the flow regimes generated were stratified, stratified wavy and slug flow. At the inlet, the air and water superficial velocities are in the range of 0.25 - 0.140 m/s and 0.14-0.78 m/s respectively. The effect of the expander section after the branch arm, the air superficial velocity USA and water superficial velocity USw on liquid carryover (WL3/WL1)max in branch arm have been studied. Based on the experimental data obtained for T-junction with expander section, complete phase separation of air and water was observed in stratified and stratified wavy flow for all superficial velocities and improved phase separation for slug flow. In slug flow, increasing the liquid superficial velocity improves the phase separation but increasing the gas velocity decreases the phase separation. Finally, the volume weighted phase in this new T-junction design is compared with the phase separation data of a simple T-junction.

Keywords

• stratified
• stratified-wavy
• slug flow
• phase separation
• two-phase flow