The use of MRI to quantify multi-phase flow patterns and transitions: an application to horizontal slug flow Original Research Article

In this paper we discuss the current benefits and limitations of using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to examine multi-phase fluid flow patterns and transitions. The advantages and disadvantages are highlighted in the context of an ongoing collaborative research effort between the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine MRI Center and the Department of Nuclear Engineering at Oregon State University (OSU). Of particular interest, are the MRI measurements of the liquid volumetric flux distribution, the void fraction and the interfacial area concentration for slug flow in a horizontal air–water system. The data presented herein is unique relative to the slug flow conditions examined and the method implemented for data acquisition. The special scanning sequences designed by UCSF were capable of imaging at repetition intervals as fast as 7 ms.