Exchange flows and plug cementing

We present the results of an experimental study of buoyancy-driven exchange flows in a vertical pipe, where the lower fluid is Newtonian of low viscosity and the upper fluid has a yield stress. The fluids are initially separated by a gate valve, opened at time $\hat {t}=0$. The fluids are miscible,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of fluid mechanics 2024-11, Vol.1000
Main Authors: Charabin, S.S., Frigaard, I.A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Buoyancy
Cement
Cementing
Exchanging
Fluid flow
Fluids
Gate valves
Helical flow
Hydraulics
JFM Papers
Pipes
Plugs
Slug flow
Viscosity
Yield strength
Yield stress
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Summary:We present the results of an experimental study of buoyancy-driven exchange flows in a vertical pipe, where the lower fluid is Newtonian of low viscosity and the upper fluid has a yield stress. The fluids are initially separated by a gate valve, opened at time $\hat {t}=0$. The fluids are miscible, but away from the diffusive limit. For a sufficiently large ratio $Y$, of the yield stress to the buoyancy stress, no sustained fluid motions arise: the flow is stable. For smaller $Y$ numbers an exchange flow results. Commonly, the less dense fluid penetrates upwards in a central finger, displacing the upper fluid downwards around the walls of the pipe. Three regimes are classified: helical finger, disconnected finger and slug flow. The transition between regimes is governed by increasing relevance of inertial to viscous stresses, in balancing buoyancy. The disconnected finger and slug flow regimes are associated with yielded fluid at the interface and early growth of instabilities. Helical fingers are viscous dominated and evolve slowly until late in the experiments. The scenarios studied represent an idealised set-up for the industrial process of plug cementing. The regimes identified are helpful for industrial process design.
ISSN:0022-1120
1469-7645
DOI:10.1017/jfm.2024.1022