Computational Erosion Wear Model Validation of Particulate Flow Through Mitre Pipe Bend

The erosive wear rate caused by slurry flow is the worst phenomenon associated with complex geometry like bend, curved cross section and rotating machinery. The numerous quantitative research is available in the past for findings of erosive wear rate through pipe bend, but findings of erosive wear rate through pipe bend using Fluent based various erosion models are not yet established. In the present work, erosion wear rate using four computational-based erosion models viz. Generic, Oka, Finnie and Mclaury through horizontal mitre pipe bend instigated by bottom ash particulates slurry has been investigated using Fluent code. The solid particulates of spherical shapes 162 µm, 300 µm and 445 µm having density 2219 kg/m³ were tracked to compute the erosion wear rate using Discrete Phase Model (DPM). The particulates were tracked using Eulerian–Lagrangian approach coupled with k−ɛ turbulent model at volume fraction ranging from 2.5 to 10% for wide range of velocities viz. 1–10 ms⁻¹. Additionally, the results of DPM concentration, turbulence intensity, velocity and particle tracking using particulate residence time were predicted to analyze the erosive rate through pipe bend. The simulated outcomes show that the maximum erosion wear rate exists at the extrados of pipeline near the bend exit. Finally, the effects of particulate size, concentration and velocity were discussed on erosion wear rate. Furthermore, the simulated outcomes obtained through computational erosion models were verified with the available experimental data and findings show that the outcomes obtained with Generic model could be the benchmark for designing the slurry pipeline bend.