Three-Phase Flow over Rectangular and Semicircular Ribbed Vertical Channel

Pressure drop in a rectangular and semicircular ribbed-vertical channel was studied for a three-phase fluid flow, water, gasoil, and air. Flow patterns were observed in a transparent channel using a three-phase flow mixture. An experimental rig was constructed. The test channel has designed to get the dimensions of 10 × 3 × 70 cm in order to enable flow visual observation by video and to control the superficial inlet velocities. The superficial velocities were applied within the ranges of 0.16446 – 0.65784 m/s, 0.13154 – 0.65772 m/s, and 1.33675 – 4.01026 m/s for water, gasoil and air, respectively. The hydraulic diameter was 0.04364 m. The experimental pressure drop according to smooth plate were 19% and 33% for channel of semicircular and rectangular ribs, respectively. Lower pressure drop was observed in case of the semicircular rip. When water, gasoil and air superficial velocity increased, the semicircular rip was the best shape to improve the low-pressure drop according to the velocities in the research.