NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF MULTIPHASE FLOW IN T-JUNCTION

Abstract

This study investigates the complex dynamics of water-CO₂ two-phase flow in a horizontal T-junction using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) with ANSYS Fluent, addressing critical industrial challenges in phase separation, pressure drop, and flow regime transitions. The analysis focuses on optimizing multiphase flow behavior in piping systems, which is essential for applications in oil and gas, carbon capture and storage, and chemical processing.The numerical simulations employ the Eulerian-Eulerian multiphase model, which accurately resolves the interactions between the liquid (water) and gas (CO₂) phases. Turbulence is modelled using the standard k-ε model, ensuring reliable predictions of momentum exchange and energy dissipation. The T-junction geometry is meshed with an unstructured grid, incorporating localized refinement near the walls and junction regions to enhance boundary layer resolution and capture critical flow features such as recirculation zones and vortex formation.The simulation results are validated against experimental data, demonstrating good agreement. This work highlights the effectiveness of CFD in predicting multiphase flow behavior in T-junctions, supporting the optimization of industrial piping systems.