A mechanistic model for roll waves for two‐phase pipe flow

A new two‐phase roll wave model is compared with data from high pressure two‐phase stratified pipe flow experiments. Results from 754 experiments, including mean wave speed, wave height, pressure gradient, holdup and wave length, are compared with theoretical results. The model was able to predict these physical quantities with good accuracy without introducing any new empirically determined quantities to the two‐fluid model equations. This was possible by finding the unique theoretical limit for nonlinear roll amplitude and applying a new approach for determining the friction factor at the gas‐liquid interface. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009