Flow of Bi-modal Slurry through Horizontal Bend

Abstract

Extensive experimental investigations were carried out for pressure drop and concentration profile in the flow of bi-modal slurry comprising silica sand and fly ash with mean diameter of 450 and 75 μm, respectively, at six silica sand:flyash ratios (namely, 100:0, 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40 and 0:100) in a 53 mm diameter horizontal bend. Flow velocity was varied up to 3.56 m/s (namely, 1.78, 2.67 and 3.56 m/s) at two efflux concentrations of 8.82 % and 16.28 % for each silica sand:flyash ratio. The experimental data were compared with the CFD modelling results using an Eulerian two-phase model available in the FLUENT software. Eulerian model predicted almost all the experimental data collected in the present study for pressure drop and concentration profile with fair accuracy. The bend loss coefficient kt was found to decrease with increase in percentage of flyash for silica sand:flyash ratio up to 70:30. Further increase in flyash did not show any significant change in the value of kt.

Keywords

• eulerian model
• cfd modelling
• bi-modal slurry
• pipe bend
• pressure drop
• concentration profile