Settling slurry flow near deposition velocity in inclined pipe of negative slope

Abstract

Pipe flow of sand-water slurry (settling slurry) is sensitive to pipe inclination. The effect of the angle to which the partially stratified flow is inclined from the horizontal has been subject to investigation in numerous studies. However, almost all of them focus on ascending flows, i.e. flows inclined to positive angles of inclination. It is well known that settling slurry flows inclined to negative slopes (descending flows) differ from those inclined to positive slopes, particularly at velocities near the deposition limit. The deposition limit velocity is the flow velocity at which stationary deposit starts to be formed at the bottom of the pipe. We investigate the effect of the negative slope on pipe flow near deposition limit velocity in the broad range of inclination angles. Besides the deposition limit, we focus on the distribution of solids across the pipe cross section. We combine experimental approach with mathematical modelling. Our new experiments with medium-to-coarse sand (mass-medium grain size 0.87 mm) in a 100-mm pipe inclined from 0 to -45 degree provide suitable data for a validation of predictions of our layered model for partially stratified flows in inclined pipes.