Two-Phase Flow in Piping Components

Abstract

Two-phase and single-phase pressure drop data were obtained for flow in horizontal 5.08-cm-dia pipe and piping components that included: a 9.14-m straight section of pipe; a gate valve; an elbow; a combination of elbow and gate valve separated by different pipe lengths; a globe valve; a swing check valve; and a union. Single-phase pressure drops produced by each component were used to establish the resistance coefficient, K . This resistance was then used to calculate two-phase pressure drops for each component using the Tremblay and Andrews homogeneous flow model. An acceptable agreement was found between measured and predicted pressure drops for all piping components studied. Pressure recovery lengths for individual components were found to be 10–50 pipe diameters, depending on flow rates. The resistance coefficient of two components separated by a distance less than the recovery length was always greater than the summation of each individual resistance coefficient.