 Intrinsic phase averages in a two-fluid pipe model

Here $⟨\cdot ⟩$ means integration over a fixed pipe cross-section divided by its area, and ${\chi }_1$ is the indicator of one immiscible fluid. The volume fraction is $\alpha$; intrinsic density averages over the phase-occupied area rather than over the whole section. The velocity must be density-weighted for its product with mean phase density to represent mass flux exactly.

If there is no interphase mass transfer, integrating ${\partial }_t(\rho {\chi }_1)+\nabla \cdot (\rho v{\chi }_1)=0$ over a section with impermeable outer wall gives ${\partial }_t({\rho }_1\alpha )+{\partial }_x({\rho }_1\alpha u_1)=0$. The second phase uses $1-\alpha$ and its own intrinsic averages. For constant phase density the velocity reduces to the ordinary phase-area average. These definitions apply where the corresponding phase fraction is positive; zero-fraction intrinsic quantities need a separate convention.