Various feeds, pharmaceuticals and mining products are transported by a carrying fluid via pipelines. There are two types of transport, dilute and dense phases. The problem in a dense phase transport is the non-uniform discharge rate, which makes interfacing process at the end of the pipeline unpredictable. The dilute phase transport however has a different problem. Because of the high particle velocity in the pipes, occasional impact with the wall results in pitting. Over time, these impacts erode the pipe walls away. Operation down time and repairment are both costly. Such erosion is most severe in the pipe bends, obviously due to the sharp change in the fluid velocity which cannot be followed by particles because of their inertia. In this paper, we present a computational investigation of the dilute pneumatic transport process in the pipe bend. We study the cause and effect relation among the flow rate of the carrying fluid, the pipe bend curvature, and the rate of erosion. We utilize the KIVA-3 code developed by the Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the MAUI Super Computer. Results of this study can be used to help design pipe systems for the pneumatic transport of granular materials.
展开▼
