PREDICTION OF FLOW REGIME TRANSITIONS IN VERTICAL UPWARD THREE PHASE GAS-LIQUID-SOLID FLOW

The effect of solids concentration on the bubble to bubble-slug, bubble-slug to slug, and slug to churn flow transitions in gas-liquid-solid vertical flow has been studied using air, water, and glass beads in a 5 cm ID plexiglass column. Several simple models to predict the transitions were developed utilizing criteria proposed for gas-liquid vertical flow. These criteria are shown to apply equally well in the absence or presence of the solid phase With solids present in the flow, the bubble to bubble-slug and bubble-slug to slug flow transitions both occurred at lower superficial gas velocities because of increased bubble coalescence. However, the slug to churn flow transition was unaffected by solids in the range of flow conditions studied.