A Study on the Instability Criterion for the Stratified Flow in Horizontal Pipe at Cocurrent Flow Conditions

This paper presents a theoretical approach of the instability criterion from stratified to nonstratified flow in horizontal pipe at cocurrent flow conditions. The new theoretical instability criterion for the stratified and nonstratified flow transition in horizontal pipe has been developed by hyperbolic equations in two-phase flow, Critical flow condition criterion and onset of slugging at cocurrent flow condition correspond to zero and imaginary characteristics which occur when the hyperbolicity of a stratified two-phase flow is broken, respectively. Through comparison between results predicted by the present theory and the Kukita et al.[1] experimental data of pipes, it is shown that they are in good agreement with data.