A Model for Three Phase Flow in Horizontal Pipes

Experimental observations on three phase flow of gas and two immiscible liquids in pipes is very limited inspite of its prevalence in the oil and gas industry. A few investigators reported observations on the regime maps, phase hold-ups and pressure drop. Extension of the two phase flow models to explain three phase flows by defining two out of the three phases as a pseudo-homogeneous phase was inadequate. In this paper, an equation for the pressure drop in three phase flow through horizontal pipes is derived by extending the separated flow model for the three phases in terms of Lockhart-Martinelli parameters. The model is validated with the experimental data available in the literature.