I'm trying to simulate a 1D transient flow scenario in MATLAB Simscape Fluids that involves slug flow of water (liquid) in air (gas) through a small pipeline network. The setup is as follows:
- A 1 mm diameter, 20 mm long pipe (inlet pipe) connected to a T-junction.
- The T-junction splits into two pipes, each 2 mm in diameter and 50 mm in length.
- These two pipes then merge back into a single 1 mm diameter, 20 mm long pipe (outlet pipe).
- Gas (air) flows through the system, driven by a constant flow rate Q applied at the outlet.
- The inlet is held at atmospheric pressure.
- At time t = 0, a slug of water with volume equal to π * (0.5 mm)^2 * 2 mm enters the inlet pipe.
- Both air and water are assumed to be incompressible.
I'd like to simulate the transient response of the system to this slug injection and obtain:
- Pressure and flow rate along the network over time.
- The location and progression of the liquid slug through the system.
Has anyone modeled something similar using Simscape Fluids? I’m not sure how to represent the slug dynamics and the two-phase interaction in this geometry. Should I use a gas-liquid mixture model or custom components? Any guidance or example models would be really appreciated.
Thanks in advance!
