A numerical assessment of two geometries for reducing elbow erosion--颗粒学报PARTICUOLOGY

Duarte, C. A. R., de Souza, F. J., Venturi, D. N., & Sommerfeld, M. (2020). A numerical assessment of two geometries for reducing elbow erosion. Particuology, 49, 117-133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.partic.2019.01.004

A numerical assessment of two geometries for reducing elbow erosion

Carlos Antonio Ribeiro Duarte ^a *, Francisco José de Souza ^b, Diego Nei Venturi ^b, Martin Sommerfeld ^c

a Department of Engineering, Federal University of Goiás - Regional Catalão, Av. Dr. Lamartine Pinto de Avelar, 1120, Catalão, Goiás, Brazil
b School of Mechanical Engineering, Federal University of Uberlândia, Av. João Naves de Ávila, 2121 Bloco 5P, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
c Multiphase Flow Systems (MPS), Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Zeppelinstraße 1, D-06130 Halle (Saale), Germany

10.1016/j.partic.2019.01.004

Volume 49, April 2020, Pages 117-133

Received 23 September 2018, Revised 12 January 2019, Accepted 18 January 2019, Available online 24 June 2019, Version of Record 26 February 2020.

E-mail: carlosduarte@ufg.br

Highlights

• The relative erosion between two pipe fittings and a standard elbow is assessed.

• The plugged tee and vortex-chamber provide similar mechanisms for reducing erosion.

• The vortex-chamber elbow is the best option when dealing with higher mass loadings.

• For diluted flows, the plugged tee has mechanisms that favor an erosion reduction.

Abstract

Elbows in pneumatic conveying systems are normally prone to the erosive effects of conveyed particles. There are a number of solutions available to reduce such damage. A widely used geometric alternative for replacing the 90° elbow and reducing erosive wear is the plugged tee. Another option, although less commonly used, is the vortex-chamber elbow. In both cases, the effective reduction in erosion brought about is unclear, as it strongly depends on the operating conditions. The present study assesses relative erosion among the plugged tee, vortex-chamber elbow, and standard elbow for a dilute gas–solid multiphase flow. A numerical model is employed to predict the penetration ratio and validated using experimental data for the plugged tee. Simulations are run for the standard and vortex-chamber elbows and plugged tee under the same conditions to compare the mechanics involved and the relative erosion reduction. The analysis uses variables relating to particle–wall interactions (impact angle, impact velocity, impact frequency) to illustrate the nature of the erosive process in each pipe fitting. In general, the geometric configurations of both the plugged tee and vortex-chamber elbow promote changes in particle dynamics that reduce the rate of erosion. On the basis of the relative erosion of the standard elbow, the plugged tee proves to be an interesting option in cases of a low mass loading, while the vortex-chamber elbow demonstrates its erosion reduction potential for higher mass loading conditions. Furthermore, the advantages and disadvantages of each fitting are highlighted.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Relative erosion; Plugged tee; Erosion reduction; Pipe fitting; Computational fluid dynamics

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