1. Basic principles

1.1 Multiphase flows and industrial systems

In many industrial situations, mixtures of several fluids or of fluids and solids, in extremely varied proportions, or a component present in two phases more or less in thermodynamic equilibrium, have to be conveyed.

Common examples are :

• water-steam flows (boiling, condensation) in power generation and propulsion ;

• hydrocarbon mixtures (extraction and transportation of oil and natural gas);

• cryogenic fluids (freon, hydrogen, helium) ;

• solid-gas mixtures (pneumatic conveying) and liquid-solid mixtures (hydraulic conveying).