The energy expense of slurry transportation through the pipeline plays a vital role in the economics of various modern industries, such as mining, crude oil, petroleum, and mineral processing. Therefore, it is essential to develop a suitable condition by which we can efficiently transport slurry without affecting the environment and capital costs. To solve these problems, a steady state three-dimensional multiphase Eulerian RNG k–ε turbulence model based on the kinetic theory of granular flow is developed to investigate transportation parameters like pressure distribution, concentration distribution, head loss, settling velocity, and specific energy consumption. Four different particles named bottom ash, glass beads, iron ore, and silica sand with five different sizes, 125, 200, 275, 350, and 440 μm are transported through 3.8 m long straight pipe having 54 mm pipe diameter. The trends of various transportation properties with varying flow velocity (Vm = 1–5 m/s) and efflux concentration (Cw = 40%–60%) are presented. The numerically obtained results for different slurries and water are in good agreement with the past experimental data available in the literature. The computational finding shows that the transportation of bottom ash requires minimum energy, whereas silica sand needs the maximum. In addition, the degree of deviation into transportation properties increases with the particle size, efflux concentration, and flow velocity.

In this study, a sophisticated three-dimensional computational model was developed to investigate the kinetic and thermal characteristics of a bi-model slurry. This model utilized the Eulerian–Eulerian Re-Normalization Group k–ε turbulence approach in conjunction with the kinetic theory of granular flow. The slurry, composed of different combinations of silica sand and fly ash, was transported through a straight pipeline under varying Prandtl numbers. Five different mixture combinations were considered, ranging from 65% silica sand and 35% fly ash to 100% silica sand. The slurry was transported using four different Prandtl fluids with varying temperatures. The pipe wall was maintained at a constant temperature of 400 K. The computational results yielded significant findings. A mixture with a higher proportion of fly ash (65:35) exhibited superior flow characteristics when combined with a low-viscosity Prandtl fluid (Pr = 2.88), resulting in a minimal pressure gradient and specific energy consumption. Enhanced energy efficiency was observed at lower Reynolds numbers and reduced efflux concentrations. Additionally, the 95:05 mixture demonstrated the highest heat transfer coefficient, with further improvements as flow Reynolds numbers and efflux concentrations increased. These results provide valuable insight into optimizing the transportation of bi-model slurries for various industrial applications, emphasizing the importance of composition and Prandtl numbers.

The present work shows the slurry flow characteristics of glass beads having density 2470 kg/m3 at different Prandtl number through a horizontal pipeline. The simulation is conducted by Eulerian two-phase model using RNG k-ε turbulence closure in available commercial software ANSYS FLUENT. The transportation of solid particulates has the settling behaviour in the slurry pipeline and that leads to the sedimentation and blockage of the pipeline resulting more power and pressure drop in the pipeline. Therefore, it is important to know the transport capability of the solid particulates at different Prandtl fluids to minimise the pressure loss. The fluid properties at four Prandtl numbers i.e. 1.34, 2.14, 3.42 and 5.83 is used to carry the solid concentration ranges from 30-50 % (by volume) at mean flow-velocity ranging from 3 to 5 ms-1 . The obtained computational results are validated with the published data in the literature. The results show that the pressure-drop rises with escalation in flow velocity and solid concentration at all Prandtl number. It is found that the suspension stability enhancement is considerable for lower range of Prandtl number and decreases for higher range of Prandtl number. Finally, glass beads concentration contours, velocity contours, concentration profile, velocity profiles and pressure drop are predicted to understand the slurry flow for chosen Prandtl numbers.

Transportation of solids with water as a carrier in the form of slurry through long length pipelines is widely used by many industries and power plants. The transportation of slurry through vertical pipeline is a challenging task and require modification to overcome the pressure loss and power consumption requirements. In this perspective, numerical simulation of three-dimensional horizontal slurry pipeline (HSPL) and vertical slurry pipeline (VSPL) carrying glass beads solid particulates of spherical diameter 440 µm and density 2,470 kg/m3 is carried out. The 3D computational model for horizontal and vertical slurry pipeline is developed for a pipe of 0.0549 m diameter and analyzed in available commercial software ANSYS Fluent 16. The simulation is conducted by using Eulerian multiphase model with RNG k-ɛ turbulence closure at solid concentration range 10 – 20% (by volume) for mean flow velocities ranging from 1-4 ms-1. It is found that the pressure drop rises for both HSPL and VSPL with escalation in mean flow velocity and solid concentration. The predicted pressure drop in VSPL is found to follow the same pattern as with HSPL but higher in magnitude for all chosen velocity and solid concentration range. The obtained results of predicted pressure drop in HSPL are validated with the available experimental data in the literature. A parametric study is conducted with the aim of visualizing and understanding the slurry flow behavior in HSPL and VSPL. Finally, the results of solid concentration contour, velocity contour, solid concentration profiles, velocity profiles and pressure drop are predicted for both the slurry pipelines.