Multiphase Flow

A multiphase flow is defined as one in which more than one phase (i.e., gas, solid and
liquid) occurs. Such flows are ubiquitous in industry, examples being gas-liquid flows
in evaporators and condensers, gas-liquid-solid flows in chemical reactors, solid-gas
flows in pneumatic conveying, etc. This introductory article attempts to give an
overview, with more detailed material appearing on each individual type of
multiphase flow in separate entries.
In multiphase flows, solid phases are denoted by the subscript S, liquid phases by the
subscript L and gas phases by the subscript G. Some of the main characteristics of
these three types of phases are as follows:
Solids

In a multiphase flow, the solid phase is in the form of lumps or particles which are
carried along in the flow. The characteristics of the movement of the solid are strongly
dependent on the size of the individual elements and on the motions of the associated
fluids. Very small particles follow the fluid motions, whereas larger particles are less
responsive.
Liquids

In a multiphase flow containing a liquid phase, the liquid can be the continuous phase
containing dispersed elements of solids (particles), gases (bubbles) or other liquids
(drops). The liquid phase can also be discontinuous, as in the form of drops suspended
in a gas phase or in another liquid phase. Another important property of liquid phases
relates to wettability. When a liquid phase is in contact with a solid phase (such as a
channel wall) and is adjacent to another phase which is also in contact with the wall,
there exists at the wall a triple interface, and the angle subtended at this interface by the
liquid-gas and liquid-solid interface is known as the Contact Angle.
Gases

As a fluid, a gas has the same properties as a liquid in its response to forces. However,
it has the important additional property of being (in comparison to liquids and solids)
highly compressible. Notwithstanding this property, many multiphase flows
containing gases can be treated as essentially incompressible, particularly if the

pressure is reasonably high and the Mach Number, with respect to the gas phase, is
low (e.g., < 0.2).

Types of Multiphase Flow

The most common class of multiphase flows are the Two-Phase Flows, and these
include Gas-Liquid Flow, Gas-Solid Flow, Liquid-Liquid Flow and Liquid-Solid
Flow. The reader is referred to the general overview article onTwo-Phase Flows and to
the individual articles on each of the respective two-phase flow types.
Three-phase flows are also of practical significance, and examples are as follows:
1.

Gas-liquid-solid flows: this type of system occurs in two-phase fluidized bed and
gas lift chemical reactors where a gas-liquid reaction is promoted by solid catalyst
particles suspended in the mixture.

2.

Three-phase, gas-liquid-liquid flows: mixtures of vapors and two immiscible liquid

phases are common in chemical engineering plants. Examples are gas-oil-water
flows in oil recovery systems and immiscible condensate-vapor flows in
steam/hydrocarbon condensing systems.

3.

Solid-liquid-liquid flows: An example here would be that of an immiscible liquidliquid reaction, in which a solid phase is formed, that separates out in the system.

Multiphase flows are not restricted to only three phases. An example of a four phase
flow system would be that of direct-contact freeze crystallization in which, for example,
butane liquid is injected into solution from which the crystals are to be formed, and
freezing occurs as a result of the evaporation of the liquid butane. In this case, the four
phases are, respectively, butane liquid, butane vapor, solute phase and crystalline
(solid) phase.

Basic Quantities In Multiphase Flows

The mean phase content (i) of the ith phase is defined as the time-averaged volume
fraction of that phase in a section of the channel or as the time-averaged area fraction
of the phase in a given cross section (the two definitions may be taken as equivalent in

most practical situations). Specifically, the mean phase content of the gas phase ( G) is
often termed the Void Fraction. The volume flux (or superficial velocity) Ui of a phase is
defined as:
(1)

where

is the volume flow rate of the phase (m 3/s) and S is the channel cross-

sectional area (m2). The total superficial velocity U is given by:

(2)

where n is the total number of phases present. The average phase velocity (ui) of the ith
phase is given by:
(3)

and the flow quality xi of the ith phase is defined as:

(4)

where

is the mass flux of the ith phase (given by

/S, where

is the mass rate

of flow the phase through the channel). A multiphase density MP may be defined as the
mass of the multiphase mixture per unit channel volume, and this is given by:
(5)

where i is the density of the ith phase.

Conservation Equations For Homogeneous Flow

The simplest approach for representation of multiphase flows is to treat them as

homogeneous mixtures in which the velocities of all the phases are identical and equal
to the homogeneous velocity uH. This is given by:
(6)

where

is the total mass flux,

the total mass rate of flow and H is the homogeneous

density given by:

(7)

The homogeneous conservation equations for mass, momentum and energy are stated as
follows (detailed derivations are given by Hewitt (1983):
(8)

(9)

(10)

where z is the axial distance, t time, p pressure, g the acceleration due to gravity, the
angle of inclination of the channel, o the wall shear stress, P the channel periphery,
the wall heat flux,

the internal heat generation rate in the fluid per unit volume and

e the energy converted per unit fluid mass, given by:

(11)

where h is the specific enthalpy given by:

(12)

where is the specific internal energy.

For steady state flow in a constant cross-section duct, the momentum equation (Eq. (9))
reduces to:
(13)

where the three terms of the right hand are, respectively, the frictional pressure gradient,
the accelerational pressure gradient and the gravitational pressure gradient.