PRESSURE DROP FOR HORIZONTAL 2

PHASE FLOW
Lockhart – Martinelli Method

The pressure drop for systems of any type has three components that
control the flow and loss of energy: friction, acceleration and lift. In the
horizontal 2 phase flow, the elevation component will not be considered.
In this unit we will describe the 2 phase pressure drop excluding the
elevation effect for horizontal lines; it will be detailed in next chapters.

Lockhart-Martinelli Correlation.

This correlation indicates that the pressure drop in two phases flow can
be calculated using the equations and graphs commonly used to
calculate the pressure drop to a single fluid phase, once the individual
velocities of each phase are known. By assuming that the two phases are
running on the pipe totally separated from each other, it is possible to
define their respective speeds in terms of a so-called hydraulic diameter
and a shape factor. The Lockhart-Martinelli Correlation were
development for horizontal flow, in their paper, they publish in detail the
analysis of the phenomenon and the development of this correlation.

Lockhart and Martinelli launched two basic postulates for their analysis:
- The static pressure drop for the liquid phase is always equivalent to the
gas phase regardless of the flow pattern adopted by the moving mixture;
also there is no appreciable radial static pressure difference.
- The volume occupied by the liquid phase plus the volume occupied by
the gas phase at any moment and position, must be equal to the total
volume of the pipe.

These postulates suggest the non-existence of a change in the flow

pattern along the pipe. In this way, slug and plug flows patterns are not
able to be simulated.

Lockhat Martinelli found that using a separate phase model, the general
equation for frictional pressure losses in Horizontal two-phase flow was
given by:

∆P2f = ∅2 x ∆P1f

∆P2f = Pressure drop in two-phase flow.

∆Plf = Pressure drop in one of the phases, calculated by Darcy

Wiesbach equation.

∅2 = Function that depends on the Lockhart-Martinelli modulus

 X = (∆Pl / ∆Pg)0,5

X = Lockhart-Martinelli modulus for liquid-gas two-phase flow.

∆Pl = Liquid phase pressure drop.

∆Pg = Gas phase pressure drop.

Based on their experimental observations, Lockhart and Martinelli

plotted ∅ vs. X according the attached figure. These researchers actually
got four ∅ curves for each phase, as they defined the following flow
regimes:

1.- Both liquid and gas phases in turbulent regime (tt curve).
2.- Turbulent flow in the liquid phase and viscous flow in the gas phase
(tv curve).
3.- Viscous flow in the liquid and turbulent in the gas phase (vt curve).
4.- Both phases in viscous regime (vv curve).
Lockhart-Martinelli plot for ∅ and R as a function of X. (1949)

Subsequently, other researchers undertook the task of developing more

detailed and complex theoretical models, which provide the engineer
with greater precision in the calculation of pressure drops in two-phase
flow (1).

Lockhart-Martinelli calculation method:

The method describe hereafter included the latest development of recent
researchers done to the original Lockhart-Martinelli Correlation.

1.- Determine the flow regime of each phase according to the Lockhart-
Martinelli criterion, calculating Reynolds number for each phase:

Re = D V ρ / μ
Where
D = internal diameter of the pipe in m.
V = superficial velocity of the phase in m / s.
ρ = density of the phase at operating conditions in kg / m3.
μ = viscosity of the phase in kg / (m s).

If Re <1000, the phase regime is viscous (v).

If Re> 2000, the phase regime is turbulent (t).
This statement was defined by the researchers, different as was defined
by Colebrook White.

2.- Calculate the pressure drop for each phase, using the Darcy
Wiesbach equation:
 h = f L V2 / 2 D g ρl

f = Darcy's friction factor.

V = superficial velocity of the phase in m / s.
L = length of the pipe section in m.
ρl = density of the phase in kg / m3.
g = 9.81 m kg / (s2 kgf) = 32.2 ft lb / (s2 lbf)
D = internal diameter of the pipe in m..

Remember that the value of h is equivalent to the pressure drop of each

phase.

To find the friction factor, use the Know approximations.

If Re <2100, the phase is in a laminar regime. The friction factor is only

a function of the Reynolds number

f = 64 / Re

If Re > 2100, the phase in question is in a transition regime. If >

10,000, the phase flows at a turbulent rate. For these last two regimes,
the Darcy friction factor is then a function of the relative roughness of
the pipe (ϵ / D) and the Reynolds number, and can be obtained using an
approximation to the Moody plot, the Colebrook and White equation or
Chen´s equation (implicit equation) that is gaining ground in the field
(2,3) calculation for fluids in turbulent regime (1984).

It is worth highlighting the difference between this transition criterion

from laminar to turbulent regime (Re = 2100), and the Lockhart-
Martinelli defined in step 1 of this method.

3.- Calculate the Lockhart Martinelli factor X with the equation

X = (∆Pl / ∆Pg)0,5
4.- The coefficients ∅g and ∅l are estimated using the equations
developed by Turner and Walis (1965) for gas and Chilholm (1967) for
liquids (4). These are not the original equations enunciated by Lockhart
Martinelli, but subsequent research has accepted these correlations as the
most appropriate.

Gas Phase

∅g2 = (1+ ( x4/n-5 )5-n/2

n = 1 viscous flow n = 0.75 for turbulent flow

Liquid Phase

∅l 2 = 1 + c / x + 1 / x2

C = 20 turbulent liquid turbulent gas (tt curve)

C = 12 viscous liquid turbulent gas (vt curve)
C = 10 turbulent liquid viscous gas (tv curve)
C = 5 viscous liquid gas viscous (vv curve)
5.- The pressure drop of each phase is calculated using the Martinelli
correlations

∆Pg2f = ∅g2 * ∆Pgdarcy gas phase

∆Pl2f = ∅l2 * ∆Pldarcy liquid phase

The pressure drop of the pipe section is the highest of the previous
calculation.

Various studies have shown that the Lockhart and Martinelli equations,
with the modifications made by other researchers, show deviations of up
to 20% as a maximum, for pipes with a diameter greater than 6 inches,
where the pressure drop values calculated are greater than those
observed in the field.

It is important to indicate that studies carried out by Dukler focused on

the analysis of non-separated phases, found correlations that reproduce
the field values observed for pipes with diameters greater than 6 inches
with deviations between 15 and 20%.
In a later article we will describe the Dukler method and the calculation
for inclined and vertical pipes.

References
1- Marian Trela* , Roman Kwidzinski, and Marcin Lackowski
Generalization of Martinelli-Nelson method of pressure drop calculation
in two-phase flows (2016)
The Szewalski Institute of Fluid-Flow Machinery, Polish Academy of
Sciences, Fiszera 14, 80-231 Gdansk, Poland

2- Saied Mokhatab, Wuillian Poe

Natural Gas Transmission and Processing
2° Edition Gulf Professional Publishing

3- Raja Venkaterwar
A Method to Calculate Pressure Dop for Gas-Liquid flow in long
Horizontal Transmission Lines
Oklahoma State University 1987.

4- Michael Onari
Selection Criteria for Onshore and Gas Field Processing Facilities 2017
UK Onshore Field