A theoretical study of the pipe flow of turbulent solid-liquid suspensions.

摘要

The aim of this investigation was to establish a theoretical approach to estimate the relevant design variables for hydraulic transport of solids using pipelines.; In the first phase of the study a mathematical theory was proposed from first principles to evaluate the total pressure drop in a pipe carrying a solid-liquid suspension under fully turbulent flow. An expression was developed for the 'excess pressure loss' function which for the first time identified the interactions of the various hydrodynamic parameters. This 'zeroth-order' model correlates the experimental data quite well with the help of one adjustable parameter.; In the second phase of the study, the equation of motion was solved numerically to yield a realistic velocity profile and pressure drop. This velocity profile reflects the settling tendency of the solids. The prediction of the design parameters using this model is good at higher velocities. Finally, the feasibility of using the transitional flow theory to improve the 'zeroth-order' model was evaluated. This investigation has established a basic methodology for developing a comprehensive simulation technique and identified the areas of future research to adapt similar methods for hydrotransport of industrial slurries.