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Slug flow is a two-phase fluid flow pattern, characterized by a series of liquid slugs dispersed by relatively large air bubbles. Air bubbles produced and trapped during the slug flow phenomenon conduct to interruption in flow which induces pressure and velocity fluctuations. These effects have destructive circumstances in conduits and conveyance structures. This paper deals with studying numerically two-phase flows using computational fluid dynamic (CFD) techniques performed in OpenFOAM (an open source software) by interFoam solver. Most of the previous concerning studies on slug flow were performed in micro-channels with small scales in which the expansion of the air bubbles was negligible. By contrast, we investigated the systems with large pressure drops which conduct to abrupt increases on the volume of air phase. The slug flow phenomenon could be created by introducing air and water with different velocities at inlet of a culvert with air to water velocity ratio varied from 1.1 to 34. First, this study focused on temporal and spatial variations of pressure and velocity along the culvert. After that, by dimensional analysis, the nondimensional parameters influencing the slug flow phenomenon are extracted and analyzed. Finally, different strategies for reducing the destructive effects of slug flow, including the shape and location of ribs, are evaluated and the best strategy is proposed.

Slug flow is a flow pattern which occurs in conveyance systems containing a two phase-fluid flow. Large air bubbles entrapped along these systems interrupt the flow and conduct to undesirable pressures and their fluctuations. Most of the previous concerning studies on slug flow phenomenon were performed in micro-channels with small scales in which the expansion of the air bubbles was negligible. In contrast, we investigated the systems with large pressure drops which conduct to abrupt increases on the volume of air phase. In this research, the verification tests applying CFD techniques were performed in OpenFOAM software by interFoam solver. The performance of morning glory spillways is investigated under steady states. While during the occurrence of flood, by increasing the depth over the spillway crest, the discharge is augmented which conducts to entrap the air pockets with pressure and velocity fluctuations. These fluctuations influence on the life of structures and their performances. This study aimed on unsteady flow in a glory morning spillway and its consequences and proposing the measures for reducing the destructive effects of slug flow. The pressure and velocity fluctuation were considered as the indices for the performance of a hydraulic structure. Spatial and temporal variations of pressure and velocity along the spillway are evaluated. Also, the influences of spillway geometry on slug flow and the measures to attenuate its destructive effects are analyzed. The results showed that the better performances of morning glory spillway are coincided by the diameter of tunnel superior than the height of water above the crest.

The influence of slug flow on local corrosion of pipeline was studied, and the protection measures for slug flow corrosion were well done to improve the safety of oil-gas-water-humidity mixed pipeline. An indoor loop test was designed to simulate the slug flow in real undulating pipelines. The surface microstructures of X70 hanging pieces were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) under slug flow conditions at different test stages. At the beginning of the test, there was much pitting corrosion on the surface of the hanging pieces, but at the end of the test, only some pitting or pitting spots developed into serious local corrosion. The flow corrosion of slug in pipe had obvious characteristics of cavitation corrosion. Its occurrence was the result of synergistic action of various mechanisms. The strong impact force, high impact velocity and mechanical action of multi-frequency micro-jet produced by cavitation annihilation significantly affected the development process and characteristics of electrochemical corrosion, which resulted in that the cavitation corrosion was mostly pitting corrosion. The damage of corrosion product film caused by high-speed micro-jet impact caused by cavitation cracking was local, and the pitting tendency increased at the local damage of corrosion product film. However, with the formation of electrochemical corrosion products, the destroyed corrosion product film was repaired continuously, but did not develop into local corrosion. Local corrosion occurred only when the high-speed micro-jet with cavitation breakdown repeatedly impacted a point of pitting tendency, but this probability was smaller than that of pitting tendency.