Tower-Boom Flow Loop (Current 3-inch and 4iinch ID Test Sections)

The Tower-Boom Loop is a gas-dominated multipurpose facility that consists of a tower with a length of 18 m (60 ft) and includes 3-inch and 4-inch pipes capable of being placed in different inclinations. In the facility, it is possible to study elbows in series, and other pipeline geometries such as plugged tees and gradual contractions and expansions. The facility can operate in gas-solid-liquid flows at high velocities for annular flows with low liquid loading. Figure 1 shows the loop in a vertical position. The maximum gas flow rate that can be achieved in the 2-inch test section is about 240 ft/s (73 m/s) and is about 90 ft/s (27.4 m/s) in the 4-inch test section.
For liquid-sand injection, the slurry tank is filled with water and sand. An electric motor is used to operate the stirrer at a constant speed to ensure a homogeneous mixture. This slurry tank is connected to a pneumatically operated positive displacement pump. Flow meters are installed to determine the flow rate of liquid. The maximum liquid rate that can be achieved in the 2-inch test section is 6 ft/s (1.8 m/s) and is about 1.5 ft/s (0.45 m/s) in the 4-inch test section.