Numerical Investigation of Oil–Water Two-Phase Flow Through Sudden Contraction Tube

The present study aims numerical investigation of oil–water two-phase flow through horizontal pipe with sudden contraction having diameter ratio (D2/D1) of 0.47 and D1 is 25.4 mm. The ratio of length to diameter (L/D) before and after contraction was 78.74 and 83.33, respectively. For the different combinations of superficial velocities, the velocity and pressure profiles have been plotted. Result shows singularity causes a huge amount of pressure drop with the increase of superficial velocities of oil and water. For a constant superficial velocity of oil, the static pressure profile gets steeper with the increase in superficial velocity of water after singularity. At higher superficial velocity of oil (Usk = 0.9 m/s), the fall in static pressure is drastically high as compared to the low superficial velocity of oil for same combination of water superficial velocities. Vena contracta phenomena are observed just after the sudden contraction region, which can be confirmed by pressure profile.