Transient Simulation of Liquid-Liquid Slug Flow in a T-Shaped Process Unit

Recent technological developments have witnessed an increased interest in miniature process units due to enhanced transport phenomenon and reaction kinetics at smaller scales. Multiphase flow-based processes are extensively used in industrial applications. The computational simulations complement the experimental studies to understand the intricacies of multiphase flow behavior. In this study, transient two-dimensional simulation based on level-set approach is performed to capture the slug formation in liquid-liquid flow in a T-shaped process unit at constant inlet velocity of 0.7 m/s for each of the fluids. The fluids used are toluene and water. The characteristic dimension of the process unit used in the study is 0.4 mm. The simulation results revealed the slug formation in the main channel. A parabolic velocity profile was seen as the fluid flow developed along the length of the channel. Internal circulations were noticed within the slugs that could improve the mass transfer phenomenon.