ABSTRACT
Two phase flow is a common phenomenon in petroleum and chemical engineering.
An important feature used to describe two phase flow is the flow regime which varies
depending on the individual velocities of the components within the two-phase flow.
One of these regimes, the slug regime, can create significant pressure fluctuations
that compromise the integrity of the transporting structure (pipes, separators, etc.).
This is in addition to other unwanted effects such as flooding at the receiving end, an
increase in deposits of hydrates, and corrosion. Under such circumstances the
detection of the slug and its associated characteristics are vitally important to the
operator.
This experimental study investigates the application of Acoustic Emission (AE)
technology for detecting slug velocity in two phase (gas/liquid) flow. It is
demonstrated that slug velocity can be determined using acoustic emission sensors.