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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/K99060/01
Title: TRANSIENT THREE-PHASE FLOWS (PET 43)
Principal Investigator: Hewitt, Professor GF
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Chemical Engineering
Organisation: Imperial College London
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 October 1996 Ends: 30 November 1999 Value (£): 196,131
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Multiphase Flow
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Energy
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
The project proposed here is aimed at obtaining a systematic data base on transient three-phase (liquid-liquid-gas) flows. The experimental work will be centred in the Imperial College WASP facility, a high pressure rig capable of operating up to 50 bars and using mixtures of oil, air and water as the three phases. Dual-energy gamma densitometry has been established as a useable tool to determine phase fractions with a reasonable frequency response. The extension to this technology proposed here is to use the dual-energy gamma densitometry in a multi-beam mode to determine the structure of the flow during the transients. This will involve the construction of two new multi-beam, dual-energy gamma densitometry systems. In addition to the experimental studies, work will be carried out on modelling. Here, the focus will be on modelling three-phase stratified and slug flows. Slug flow modelling is difficult because of the averaging problems encountered in multi-fluid models. This may possibly be overcome by treating the flow as a pseudo-annular flow. A further problem is that of liquid-liquid mixing and dispersion, leading to anomolous viscosity effects near the phase-inversion point. Modelling of this latter phenomenon is vital in developing any generalised treatment of three-phase flow transients and will be pursued as part of this project.
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Organisation Website: http://www.imperial.ac.uk