Phase inversion was investigated during dispersed flow in a horizontal 38mm ID pipe with oil (5.5mPas, 828kg/m3) and water as test fluids. The results obtained with a conductivity probe indicated that between the fully dispersed oil and water continuous flows there was a range of volume fractions where the flow was stratified. A methodology was developed to predict the region of flow stratification and the pressure gradient, which was based on the assumption of a two dispersed layer configuration where the continuity of each layer was decided from calculated entrainment fractions and a phase inversion criterion. Good agreement was found between the predicted and the experimental pressure gradients apart from the oil continuous region at low mixture velocity where the predicted values were higher than the experimental ones.

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