MAJOR FLOW REGIMES IN HORIZONTAL PIPES
Stratified Flow
Description:
Gas flows at the top and liquid flows at the bottom due to gravity.
Types
• Stratified smooth → flat interface
• Stratified wavy → waves form due to higher gas velocity
Characteristics
• Low liquid and gas velocities
• Stable interface
• Low pressure drop
Occurrence: Early production stages or low-rate pipelines.
Plug Flow (Intermittent Flow)
Description:
Large liquid plugs separated by gas pockets.
Mechanism:
Waves grow until they block the pipe, forming a liquid slug.
Characteristics
• Highly unsteady
• Causes pressure fluctuations
• Can create severe vibration
Slug Flow
Often grouped with plug flow but usually refers to longer liquid slugs with aerated liquid bodies.
Features
• Alternating liquid slugs and gas bubbles
• High pressure drop
• Important in pipeline design because it can damage equipment
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Annular Flow
Description:
Gas flows in the core while liquid forms a thin film on the pipe wall.
Characteristics
• High gas velocity
• Liquid entrainment as droplets
• High shear stress
Industrial relevance:
Common in high-rate gas wells and gas condensate pipelines.
Dispersed Bubble Flow
Description:
Small gas bubbles uniformly distributed in a continuous liquid phase.
Characteristics
• Occurs at high liquid velocity
• Stable flow
• Moderate pressure drop
Mechanisms Governing Regime Transition
Transitions occur due to:
1. Gravity effects
Cause phase separation
2. Shear forces
Increase wave growth
3. Surface tension
Stabilizes or destabilizes interface
4. Pipe diameter
Larger pipes favor stratified flow
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Flow regime maps in horizontal pipe
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MAJOR FLOW REGIMES IN VERTICAL PIPES
Bubble Flow
Description:
Small discrete gas bubbles are uniformly distributed in a continuous liquid phase.
Characteristics
• Low gas velocity
• Stable flow
• Small pressure fluctuations
Applications:
Common in pumping wells and low gas–liquid ratio systems.
Slug Flow
Description:
Large elongated gas bubbles (Taylor bubbles) separated by liquid slugs.
Mechanism
Gas bubbles coalesce and grow until they occupy most of the pipe cross-section.
Characteristics
• Intermittent flow
• High liquid holdup
• Pressure oscillations
This regime is very common in oil wells.
Churn Flow (Transition Flow)
Description:
Highly chaotic flow where gas and liquid mix violently.
Features
• Oscillatory motion
• Unstable liquid film
• Occurs at intermediate gas velocities
Often considered a transition between slug and annular flow.
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Annular Flow
Description:
Gas flows upward in the core while liquid forms a thin film along the pipe wall.
Characteristics
• High gas velocity
• Liquid entrained as droplets
• Lower liquid holdup
Common in high-rate gas wells and gas lift operations.
Mist Flow (Dispersed Flow)
Description:
Liquid exists as very fine droplets carried by the gas phase.
Characteristics
• Very high gas velocity
• Minimal wall film
• High frictional pressure drop
Occurs near the top of wells or in dry-gas systems.
Flow Regime Sequence with Increasing Gas Velocity
Typical order in vertical upward flow:
Bubble → Slug → Churn → Annular → Mist
This progression occurs because gas becomes the dominant phase as velocity increases.
Flow regime maps use:
• Gas velocity
• Liquid velocity
• Fluid properties
• Pipe diameter
They are essential for well performance modeling.
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Mechanisms Controlling Regime Transitions
1. Buoyancy force
Drives bubbles upward
2. Interfacial shear
Breaks liquid into droplets
3. Coalescence
Small bubbles merge into large bubbles
4. Turbulence
Promotes mixing and transition to churn flow