Experimental investigation of pressure drop and flow regimes of Newtonian and Non-Newtonian two-phase flow

Alfarek, Serag (2018) Experimental investigation of pressure drop and flow regimes of Newtonian and Non-Newtonian two-phase flow. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

Numerous commercial applications in the nuclear, oil and gas, and chemical industries use two-phase flows. When using flows, it is critical to follow the procedures to ensure that the equipment is safe and that the process is efficient. Experimental researchers of two-phase flows focus on developing the fundamental knowledge about it and on enhancing credible experimental databases. It is crucial for validating predictions of computer simulations (i.e. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software) and the development of theoretical models. Hence, the purpose of this thesis is to assess the pressure drop for Newtonian liquid/gas and non-Newtonian liquid/gas multiphase flows with various operations and to observe the accuracy of the existing empirical models. Partially, the study also aims at predicting the flow patterns of Newtonian and the non-Newtonian flow. However, the estimation of adding a solid particle to the flow loop was not carried out due to the time limitation and commercial constraints. A Manometer and a differential pressure (dP) cell sensor were used to conduct the experimental measurements of pressure drop. In addition, the flow regimes through a horizontal 72.6-mm-ID pipe was observed by a high-speed camera. For the Newtonian model, water and air were instilled. For the non-Newtonian model, xanthan gum solution made out of xanthan gum and water, and air was injected. The experimental results were in line with the empirical models. The experiment results showed that there is a correlation with an increase of the pressure drop and the increase in the gas flow rate. Moreover, the pressure drop increases when the concentration of Xanthan gum solution increases.

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