Analysis and discussion of two fluid modelling of pipe flow of fully suspended slurry

The Impact of Swirls on Slurry Flows in Horizontal Pipelines

In deep ocean transportation pipeline, the swirling internal flow has a significant impact on the marine minerals transportation efficiency and safety. Therefore, the present work investigates various swirl flow motions for the slurry transport characteristics of the multi-sized particulate flow in a horizontal pipeline. Since the internal flow is a liquid-solid-solid mixture, a steady-state three-dimensional Eulerian-Eulerian multiphase approach in conjunction with the k-ω SST turbulence model is implemented for numerical simulation in the commercial CFD software ANSYS FLUENT 17.0. Numerical predictions of the mixture solid concentration distributions are generally in good conformance with experimental measurements. It is clearly revealed the transition of flow regime from heterogeneous to pseudo-homogeneous with the increasing level of swirl intensity at inlet. Compared to non-swirling flow, the swirling flow is of benefit to the multi-sized solid suspension capacity and the transportation efficiency. Moreover, the intense swirling vortex results in a strong influence on the characteristics of the lubrication layer formed by fine solid particles near the bottom of the pipe. These results provide valuable insights regarding the influence of swirl flow on the transport process for deep ocean mining.

Computational Fluid Dynamics Modelling of Liquid–Solid Slurry Flows in Pipelines: State-of-the-Art and Future Perspectives

Slurry pipe transport has directed the efforts of researchers for decades, not only for the practical impact of this problem, but also for the challenges in understanding and modelling the complex phenomena involved. The increase in computer power and the diffusion of multipurpose codes based on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) have opened up the opportunity to gather information on slurry pipe flows at the local level, in contrast with the traditional approaches of simplified theoretical modelling which are mainly based on a macroscopic description of the flow. This review paper discusses the potential of CFD for simulating slurry pipe flows. A comprehensive description of the modelling methods will be presented, followed by an overview of significant publications on the topic. However, the main focus will be the assessment of the potential and the challenges of the CFD approach, underlying the essential interplay between CFD simulations and experiments, discussing the main sources of uncertainty of CFD models, and evaluating existing models based on their interpretative or predictive capacity. This work aims at providing a solid ground for students, academics, and professional engineers dealing with slurry pipe transport, but it will also provide a methodological approach that goes beyond the specific application.

Experimental Investigation on Pouring Aggregate to Plug Horizontal Tunnel with Flow Water

This paper presents an experimental investigation on the main factors that influence the effects of pouring aggregate to plug a tunnel that has been inundated by groundwater to reduce the flow velocity. Moreover, a criterion for plugging the tunnel under infiltrating water to resist flow is proposed. A range analysis and analysis of variance both show that the influencing factors on the efficiency of plugging in descending order is the aggregate particle size, followed by initial velocity of the water flow, and then the water–solid mass ratio. The sedimentation process of the aggregate is likened to the deposition of solid particles into slurry in which the particles settle under gravitational force, thus accumulating at the bottom of the tunnel model due to the forces of the water flow and gravity. The critical velocity of the water that will transport the aggregate without settling can be used as a criterion to determine whether there has been a successful plug of the resistance to flow in the tunnel. The experimental results show that the critical velocity of fine aggregate is less than that of coarse aggregate, and the section with smaller sized aggregate or fine aggregate that resists water flow is flatter. In addition, the required minimum space between two pouring boreholes for a successful resistance to flow is discussed.