In order to facilitate subsea boosting and transportation, phase separation of the hydrocarbon flow subsea is often required. Phase separation efficiency is severely dependent on the distribution of the fluid particles size. The fluid particle size is determined by equilibrium between various mechanisms of fluid particle breakage and coalescence (particle merging). These mechanisms depend on system properties, surface chemistry, operating
conditions, and flow phenomena.

The current understanding and ability to predict these processes is still immature and further research is needed. In this project emphasis is placed on fundamental investigations of the fluid particle breakage mechanisms. A new experimental equipment for investigation of single fluid particle breakage under controlled flow conditions has been designed, based on a literature survey, and is currently under construction. The novel part is the analysis section in which more uniform turbulence dissipation rate level is produced due to an enlarged wall roughness. It is noted that only the drops moving in the centre part of the tube will be considered to avoid wall effects as the dissipation rate profile will have maxima close to the walls.

The main aim of this project is to perform experiments to determine breakage frequency (breakage time and breakage probability), number of daughter particles created in breakage events, and size distribution of daughter articles created in reakage events.