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The pipeline flow of paste slugs: I. Concepts and general flow behavior
Author(s) -
Berkowitz N.,
Brown R. A. S.,
Jensen E. J.
Publication year - 1965
Publication title -
the canadian journal of chemical engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.404
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1939-019X
pISSN - 0008-4034
DOI - 10.1002/cjce.5450430602
Subject(s) - slug flow , flow (mathematics) , petroleum engineering , reynolds number , pipeline transport , coal , pipeline (software) , mechanics , geology , materials science , geotechnical engineering , chemistry , environmental science , two phase flow , engineering , waste management , environmental engineering , mechanical engineering , physics , turbulence
Cylindrical paste segments, carried by a liquid hydrocarbon (such as crude petroleum), can be transmitted through pipelines in much the same manner as rigid capsules or ingots, and the technique may therefore offer a useful method for long‐distance bulk commodity transportation. In this paper, basic concepts of paste slug conveyance are briefly discussed and a first detailed study—mainly concerned with general flow behavior and flow velocities of individual slugs in an experimental 1‐in. i.d., 70‐ft. long closed‐loop line—is reported. As a matter of convenience, attention is confined to the flow of coal paste segments (prepared from a 70:30 w/w coal‐water paste) in a refined light mineral oil (ρ = 0.829 gm./cc. and μ = 7.05 cp at 60°F.). Slug‐to‐pipe diameter ratios varied from 0.5 to 0.8, and fluid velocities ranged to 11 ft./sec. (corresponding to pipe Reynolds numbers up to ca. 12,000).