Simulations of two-phase gas-liquid flow in concentric and eccentric annuli at 0 to 90 degrees inclination using the volume of fluid method

Abstract

In this thesis, two-phase flow in an annular pipe geometry is studied using an open-source software known as OpenFOAM. The data collected through the simulations in this thesis are compared to experimental data collected at IFE and against a unified flow model developed for a conventional hollow pipe. The most prominent aspects that are studied in this thesis are the pressure gradient that occurs inside the pipeline and the frequency of flow structures, particularly slugs, that are known to produce large pressure variations and thereby contribute to pipeline fatigue. To better understand and predict fluid flow interactions between multiple liquids and gases, detailed experimental and computational studies are needed to establish a prediction model framework. Prediction models for the behavior of two or more phases are generally developed based on large data sets collected in a lab. By validating computational fluid dynamics with experiments, in the future, CFD may become an additional source of data to develop flow models and predict flow behavior.