Computational study of stratified two phase oil/water flow in horizontal pipes

Abstract

Paper presented at the 6th International Conference on Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics, South Africa, 30 June - 2 July, 2008.

Stratified oil/water two-phase flow in a horizontal tube is numerically simulated using commercial CFD package FLUENT 6.3. The simulations are based on Volume of Fluid (VOF) model. It solves a single momentum equation shared by the fluids, and the volume fraction of each of the fluid in each computational cell is tracked throughout the domain. The RNG k- model together with standard wall treatment as the nearwall modelling method is used for turbulence modelling. The effects of surface tension along the interface between two fluids are calculated using Continuum Surface Force (CSF) model. The simulation is performed in a time-dependent way so that the numerical stabilization could be achieved. The final solution which corresponds to steady-state flow is analyzed. Results of pressure drop, slip ratio, interface height and the axial velocity profiles are verified by experimental data. The predictions of pressure drop, slip ratio and interface height are observed to compare favourably with experimental measurements, and estimated flow quantities such as axial velocity profiles are also satisfactory.