Let equal one in phase one and zero in phase two; its interface value is immaterial for area integrals. In the absence of phase change or interfacial mass transfer, the distributional phase mass conservation is . For a cross-section of area , define
Here the symbol in the integral denotes the axial velocity component, not a derivative. Integrating through an arbitrary axial slice and using zero normal flux at the rigid pipe wall gives
The velocity is mass weighted, so the averaged mass flux factors exactly; an unweighted phase mean would not in general have this property. This is the cross-section averaged phase mass balance.
For phase two use , volume fraction , and
Then . Mean quantities in a phase that is absent are unnecessary; the products giving conserved masses and fluxes remain the meaningful variables.