Unified Mechanistic Model for Steady-State Two-Phase Flow: Horizontal to Vertical Upward Flow

Authors:
  • CHChokshi
    Chokshi
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Abstract
Summary: A unified steady-state two-phase flow mechanistic model for the prediction of flow pattern, liquid holdup and pressure drop is presented that is applicable to the range of inclination angles from horizontal (0°) to upward vertical flow (90°). The model is based on two-phase flow physical phenomena, incorporating recent developments in this area. It consists of a unified flow pattern prediction model and unified individual models for stratified, slug, bubble, annular and dispersed bubble flow. The model can be applied to vertical, directional and horizontal wells, and horizontal-near horizontal pipelines. The proposed model implements new criteria for eliminating discontinuity problems, providing smooth transitions between the different flow patterns. The new model has been initially validated against existing, various, elaborated, laboratory and field databases. Following the validation, the model is tested against a new set of field data, from the North Sea and Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, which includes 86 cases. The proposed model is also compared with six commonly used models and correlations. The model showed outstanding performance for the pressure drop prediction, with a −1.3% average error, a 5.5% absolute average error and 6.2 standard deviation. The proposed model provides an accurate two-phase flow mechanistic model for research and design for the industry.

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