A validated CFD framework for predicting pressure losses in non‐Newtonian water‐in‐oil emulsion flow

Accurate prediction of frictional pressure losses is essential for the design and flow assurance of pipelines transporting non‐Newtonian water‐in‐oil (W/O) emulsions. These emulsions are common in crude oil production and transportation, where their shear‐thinning behaviour can cause high pressure drops, reduced throughput, and increased pumping costs. Without reliable predictive tools, operators face risks including flow instability and blockages. However, validated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) studies specifically for W/O emulsions remain scarce. This study develops and validates a high‐fidelity CFD framework for predicting pressure losses in W/O emulsion pipe flow. The model integrates a non‐Newtonian power‐law constitutive equation with the k – ω shear stress transport (SST) turbulence model to capture near‐wall effects and complex flow dynamics. Validation is performed using an independent experimental dataset for surfactant‐stabilized W/O emulsions over a range of salinities and pipeline flow conditions. The CFD model achieves a coefficient of determination ( R 2 ) of 0.77, while theoretical correlations yield negative R 2 values, indicating predictions worse than the mean. The CFD model's root mean square error (0.98) and mean absolute percentage error (14.8% ± 3.8%) are substantially lower than those of all theoretical models. The median absolute error (0.67) with 95% confidence intervals (0.45–0.96) does not overlap with any theoretical correlation. These findings confirm that the proposed CFD framework provides a robust, accurate, and statistically validated tool for W/O emulsion flow analysis. The model enables reliable prediction of pressure losses, thereby supporting better pipeline design, more efficient pumping strategies, and stronger flow assurance in crude oil transportation systems.