A hydrodynamic model for slug frequency in horizontal gas-liquid two-phase flow

The prediction of slug frequency has important significance on gas-liquid two-phase flow. A hydrodynamic model was put forward to evaluate slug frequency for horizontal two-phase flow, based on the dependence of slug frequency on the frequency of unstable interfacial wave. Using air and water, experimental verification of the model was carried out in a large range of flow parameters. Six electrical probes were installed at different positions of a horizontal plexiglass pipe to detect slug frequency development. The pipe is 30 m long and its inner diameter is 24 mm. It is observed experimentally that the interfacial wave frequency at the inlet is about 1 to 3 times the frequency of stable slug. The slug frequencies predicted by the model fit well with Tronconi (1990) model and the experimental data. The combination of the hydrodynamic model and the experimental data results in a conclusion that the frequency of equilibrium liquid slug is approximately half the minimum frequency of interfacial wave.