A UNIFIED MODEL FOR SLUG FLOW GENERATION

In order to improve the global saf sty and reliability level of multi- phase production systems and to guarantee their economical efficiency, we need a better understanding and control of hydraulic instabilities observed at the outlet of multi-phase sea-lines. This may be obtained through the development of slug flow stochastic models, which must be able to explain: (a) The generation of the various types of slug leng th distributions which are observed on experimental data sets. (b) The evolution of these distributions along the sea-lines up to their outl ets, where large hydraulic fluctuations may be dangerous for the treat ment installations. Based on experimental as well as theoretical argum ents, we present such a model with emphasis on slug generation. We giv e a detailed theoretical analysis, together with a discussion of the u nderlying assumptions which justify the introduction of this model.