Experimental Investigation of Two-Phase Flow in a Multi-Branch Reduced T-Junction With Co-Current Stratified Gas-Liquid Flow

Experiments were performed in a horizontal reduced T-junction using a branch diameter of 6.35 mm and an inlet pipe diameter of 50.8 mm. The inlet length was 1.8 m, and three branch orientations were tested at 0, 45, and 90 degrees from horizontal. Air and water, operating at 206 kPa, were used to provide a two-phase environment. Both fluids flowed co-currently within the inlet towards the branch in the smooth-stratified regime. Flow visualization was used to identify the onset of gas entrainment. The critical height at the onset of gas entrainment was quantified as a function of the single phase liquid branch Froude number for the 45, and 90 degree branches, respectively.