An explicit approximation of the central angle for the curved interface in double-circle model for horizontal two-phase stratified flow

Abstract

Stratified flow in horizontal tubes is frequently observed in gas-liquid two-phase flow system. In the two-fluid modeling, it is important to define the interface shape in solving the balance equations to determine the key parameters such as the interfacial transfer terms, void fraction, and pressure drop. A double-circle model is usually introduced to depict the concave-down interface in a horizontal circular tube under the stratified-wavy flow condition. However, calculation of the central angle in the double-circle model, which represents the interfacial curvature, requires an appropriate iterative numerical root-finding scheme to solve the implicit transcendental equation. In this study, an explicit approximate equation has been proposed without requirement of the iterative scheme and numerical instability, which is expected to improve the coding process and computation efficiency in the analysis code with the two-fluid model.

Keywords

• Two-phase flow
• Two-fluid model
• Horizontal
• Stratified flow
• Double-circle model
• Curved interface