Comparison of Frictional Pressure Drop Correlations for Isothermal Two-Phase Horizontal Flow

Abstract

An extensive literature search was made for the available two-phase frictional pressure drop correlations and isothermal two-phase horizontal flow experimental data. The experimental data was systematically refined and 2,429 horizontal two-phase flow pressure drop data points from 11 authors were selected for this study. Computer codes of 42 pressure drop correlations were written in Engineering Equation Solver (EES). The performance of the pressure drop correlations was evaluated against the diverse experimental data using statistical tools. Review of previously done comparisons by other authors is also presented. Appropriate recommendations are forwarded both for wide and narrow sets of applications. Comparisons between the correlations are presented using relative error bands and graphical probability density functions. The best performing correlations in the ?30% error band for each experimental data base are presented. The analysis showed that the performance of most of the correlations available in literature is restricted only for narrow range of applications. Performance of the correlations was also found to vary with void fraction ranges and flow pattern. For a reader who is interested in more specific sets of conditions, results of the comparison are summarized and presented for more specific sets of flow conditions based on void fraction ranges.