Hydrodynamics of gas-liquid slug flow along vertical pipes in turbulent regime - An experimental study

An experimental study on free-bubbling gas-liquid (air-water) vertical slug flow was developed using a non-intrusive image analysis technique. The flow pattern in the near-wake of the bubbles and in the main liquid between bubbles was turbulent. A single correlation for the bubble-to-bubble interaction is proposed, relating the trailing bubble velocity to the length of the liquid slug ahead of the bubble. The proposed correlation is shown to be independent of column diameter, column vertical coordinate, superficial liquid and gas velocities and the velocity and length of the leading bubble. Frequency distribution curves, averages, modes and standard deviations are reported, for distributions of bubble velocity, bubble length and liquid slug length, for each experimental condition studied. Good agreement was found between theoretical predictions and experimental results regarding the upward velocity of undisturbed bubbles, in a 0.032 m internal diameter column. A considerable discrepancy was found, though, for a 0.052 m internal diameter column. The acquired experimental data are crucial for the development and validation of a robust slug flow simulator. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.