Experiments studying oil-water flows were conducted in a 10-cm diameter, 40-m long, horizontal pipeline. Oil (viscosity 3 cP at 25°C) and ASTM substitute seawater were used at superficial mixture velocities ranging from 0.4 to 3.0m/s. in situ water cut and in situ velocity along the pipe across section have been measured at a temperature of 25°C and a carbon dioxide partial pressure of 0.13 MPa for a whole range of water cut. A novel mathematical segregated flow model, four-layer/phase was then developed for intermediate oil-water flow patterns of semi-segregated, semi-mixed and mixed as a three-phase model
by incorporating experimental data. The mixed layer in the three-layer/phase model is further divided into water-in-oil (oil-continuous) and oil-in-water (water-continuous) layers by the phase inversion point. The experimental data are in good agreement with the predicted water film height from the model.
Keywords: corrosion, large diameter pipe, multiphase flow, oil-water flow, phase inversion, segregated flow model, three-layer/phase model, four-layer/phase model