Erosion prediction in slurry pipeline tee-junctions

摘要

A significant erosion problem is found to occur on steel blanks located inside tee-junctions in a slurry pipeline system. A 3-D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model is developed to predict the motion of caustic liquor and bauxite particles through a tee-junction using an Eulerian-Eulerian continuum approach in conjunction with the κ-ε turbulence model. Initial simulations assuming a assuming a uniform inlet flow are unable to demonstrate the cause of the observed erosion. However, subsequent modelling with a swirling inlet flow, based on a more thorough assessment of the upstream vessels and piping, results in the prediction of an accumulation of particle son the steel blank at the centre of a slow -moving vortex, the location of which is in excellent agreement with the observed wear on the plant.