Experiments on Slug Flow Dynamics in Helically Coiled Tubes

Slug flow characteristics in helically coiled tubes were investigated in experiments. Pressure loss, slug velocity, and slug passing frequency were measured using pressure transducers and backlight imaging of dyed water under illumination. For a 20-mm-diameter tube, parametric dependencies on gas and liquid volume flow rates for total superficial velocities of up to 6 m/s with three different radii of curvature (R = 0.270 m, R = 0.375 m, and R = infinity/straight tube) were explored. The main experimental results obtained are (1) the bubbly flow regime shrinks because of centrifugal acceleration from the coiled geometry, (2) the liquid slug length remains unchanged regardless of changes in gas and liquid flow rates, and (3) the pipe friction factor decreases with slug passing frequency.