Liquid Slug Mixing in Pipeline
Liquid Slug Mixing in Pipeline
(OP)
Some years ago I remember seeing a formula in the Transaction of the UK mecahnical engineers (I think) that gave a formula for the inter mixing at the interface between two liquid slugs in a moving liquid pipeline. (the liquids are moving with turbulent flow).
Can anyone help?
Can anyone help?





RE: Liquid Slug Mixing in Pipeline
MikeHydroPhys
mdshydroplane
RE: Liquid Slug Mixing in Pipeline
JMW
www.viscoanalyser.com
RE: Liquid Slug Mixing in Pipeline
The flow-rate in multi-product (e.g. a sequence of naphtha, gasoline, kerosine, gas oil, kerosine, gasoline, naphtha) pipelines has a direct bearing on the extent of intermingling of successive products.
In the first place the Reynolds Number should be well in the turbulent region (Re >> 2000-3000) because laminar flow would result in complete mixing of products.
It has been established that there is a higher critical value of the Re at which the intermixing rate drops sharply, as follows:
pipe dia, inches Critical Re
4 22 000
6 29 000
8 34 000
10 40 000
12 46 000
14 72 000
In addition:
Switching into appropriate tanks at products' destination is based on readings by interface detectors, which measure specific gravity, dielectric constants, viscosities, etc.
Special interface holding tanks are provided to accept interfacial mixtures of two products until these can be disposed of, usually by blending into a large volume of a compatible product in a proportion that will not put that product off spec.
Sometimes, synthetic rubber spheres are introduced through special launchers into the pipeline at its origin when switching from one product to another.