Search Results (34)

Pneumatic conveying technology is an efficient, energy-saving and environmentally friendly means of solid feed conveying. In the process of pneumatic conveying, wind speed has a decisive influence on conveying characteristics. Here, computational fluid dynamics coupled with a discrete element method simulation and experiment were combined, and the conveying wind speed was used as the experimental variable to study the conveying characteristics of the conveying material in the tube, such as particle distribution state, solid phase mass concentration, coupling force on solid feed, average speed and pressure drop of solid feed in the pipe. The results show that when the conveying wind speed increases from 18 m/s to 20.6 m/s, the solid feed changes from sedimentary flow to suspended flow, the particle accumulation gradually decreases and the conveying efficiency is significantly improved. The particle slug greatly reduces the collision and friction between the internal particles and the pipe and reduces the crushing rate to a certain extent. When the conveying wind speed is about 23.2 m/s, there are almost no trapped particles in the pipeline, which can achieve rapid feed delivery, and conveying efficiency is greatly improved. Therefore, this paper provides a good theoretical basis for improving conveying efficiency and reducing crushing rate in the process of pneumatic conveying. Full article

In this paper, the influence of the viscoelasticity of boundary constraints on the forced vibration of the nonlinear forced resonance of a fluid-conveying layered pipe under an external forced excitation is studied. The pipe lays on viscoelastic foundations and is simply supported at both ends, and one end is subject to a viscoelastic boundary constraint. The Kelvin–Voight model was employed to describe the viscoelasticity provided by the foundation and boundary constraint. Hamilton’s variational principle was used to obtain the governing equations, during which geometric nonlinear factors including curvature nonlinearity and inertia nonlinearity were considered. By employing a perturbation-incremental harmonic balance method (IHBM), amplitude–frequency bifurcation diagrams of the pipe were obtained. The results show that the viscoelastic constraints from the boundary and foundation have significant influence on the linear and nonlinear dynamic behavior of the pipe system. Full article

In this paper, an analytical technique is proposed to obtain the forced response of a cantilevered tube conveying fluid. By considering the pipe subjected to an arbitrary harmonic force, either distributed or concentrated, an analytical solution is found using Green’s function method. The closed-form solution obtained satisfies the differential equations governing the vibrating tube conveying fluid. The proposed method, which provides exact solutions, is more accurate than the classical eigenfunction expansion or Galerkin’s method and eliminates the need for eigenfunctions, eigenvalues, or infinite series. Full article

Directed Energy Deposition (DED) processes necessitate a consistent material flow to the melt pool, typically achieved through pneumatic conveying of metal powder via thin pipes. This study aims to record and analyze the multiphase fluid–solid flow. An experimental setup utilizing a high-speed camera and specialized optics was constructed, and the flow through thin transparent pipes was recorded. The resulting information was analyzed and compared with coupled Computational Fluid Dynamics-Discrete Element Modeling (CFD-DEM) simulations, with special attention to the solids flow fluctuations. The proposed methodology shows a significant improvement in accuracy and reliability over existing approaches, particularly in capturing flow rate fluctuations and particle velocity distributions in small-scale systems. Moreover, it allows for accurately analyzing Particle Size Distribution (PSD) in the same setup. This paper details the experimental design, video analysis using particle tracking, and a novel method for deriving volumetric concentrations and flow rate from flat images. The findings confirm the accuracy of the CFD-DEM simulations and provide insights into the dynamics of pneumatic conveying and individual particle movement, with the potential to improve DED efficiency by reducing variability in material deposition rates. Full article

Vertical pipes are a significant component of deep-sea mining hydraulic lifting systems, frequently stretching up to thousands of meters. This article employs the coupling approach of computational fluid dynamics for the liquid phase and the Discrete Element Method for the particle phase (CFD-DEM) to simulate solid–liquid two-phase flow in a vertical pipeline, utilizing a scaled vertical lift pipeline model as the study object. By adjusting the conveying parameters and structural factors, the lifting performance of particles and the two-phase flow characteristics under various operating circumstances are examined, and the veracity of the simulation is validated by experimental techniques. The findings reveal that the lifting of particles is impacted by both the conveying parameters and the structural factors. The increase in flow rate can effectively improve the distribution of particles in the pipeline and enhance the followability of particles. The disturbance created by the collision and mixing of particles induced by the change in particle concentration has a tremendous impact on the velocity distribution of the two-phase flow in the pipeline and the pressure distribution of the pipe wall. In addition, there is an ideal lifting flow corresponding to various particle concentrations, which may improve the particle dispersion. The outcome of this research has a certain reference relevance for the selection of the parameters of deep-sea mining lifting systems in the future. Full article

The promotion and use of liquid feeding face the challenge of insufficiently stable delivery. This issue can be resolved, in part, by using the spiral flow produced by a spiral pipe (SPP). The aim of this study is to investigate how the structural characteristics of the spiral pipe affect the flow state of the liquid feed, and for this purpose, the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique has been employed and the liquid feed delivery process has been simulated by means of an Eulerian two-fluid model The results reveal a significant improvement in the slurry’s homogeneity as it traveled through a spiral pipe compared with a straight pipe (STP). The swirl number normally increased with the number, length, height, and angle of the spiral pipe’s guide vanes. The solid-phase distribution was more homogeneous when values of N = 1, L = 1D, H = 3/8R, and θ = 20° were used, respectively, and the COV within 10D downstream of the outlet of the spiral pipe was 3.902% smaller than that of the straight pipe. The results of this study can be used as a reference for the design of liquid feed-conveying pipes. Full article

The paper concerns the dynamics and stability of double-walled carbon nanotubes conveying fluid. The equations of motion adopted in the current study to describe the dynamics of such nano-pipes stem from the classical Bernoulli–Euler beam theory. Several additional terms are included in the basic equations in order to take into account the influence of the conveyed fluid, the impact of the surrounding medium and the effect of the van der Waals interaction between the inner and outer single-walled carbon nanotubes constituting a double-walled one. In the present work, the flow-induced vibrations of the considered nano-pipes are studied for different values of the length of the pipe, its inner radius, the characteristics of the ambient medium and the velocity of the fluid flow, which is assumed to be constant. The critical fluid flow velocities are obtained at which such a cantilevered double-walled carbon nanotube embedded in an elastic medium loses stability. Full article

In this study, the Kevin–Voigt viscoelastic constitutive relationship is used to investigate the vibration characteristics and stability of a functionally graded viscoelastic(FGV) fluid-conveying pipe with initial geometric defects under thermal–magnetic coupling fields. First, the nonlinear dimensionless differential equations of motion are derived by applying Timoshenko beam theory. Second, by solving the equilibrium position of the system, the nonlinear term in the differential equations of motion is approximated as the sum of the longitudinal displacement at the current time and longitudinal displacement relative to the position, and the equations are linearized. Third, these equations are discretized using the Galerkin method and are numerically solved under simply supported conditions. Finally, the effects of dimensionless temperature field parameters, dimensionless magnetic field parameters, thermal–magnetic coupling, initial geometric defect types, and the power-law exponent on the complex frequency of the pipe are examined. Results show that increasing the magnetic field intensity enhances the critical velocity of first-order mode instability, whereas a heightened temperature variation reduces the critical velocity of first-order diverge instability. Under thermal–magnetic fields, when the magnetic field intensity and temperature difference are simultaneously increased, their effects on the complex frequency can partially offset each other. Increasing the initial geometric defect amplitude increases the imaginary parts of the complex frequencies; however, for different types of initial geometric defect tubes, it exhibits the most distinct influence only on a certain order. Full article

Based on the two-fluid model, a three-zone drag model was developed, and the kinetic theory of granular flows and the Schneiderbauer solids wall boundary model were modified to establish a new three-dimensional (3D) unsteady mathematical model for high-pressure dense-phase pneumatic conveying in horizontal pipe. With this mathematical model, the influence of the three frictional stress models, namely Dartevelle frictional stress model, Srivastava and Sundaresan frictional stress model, and the modified Berzi frictional stress model, on the simulation result was explored. The simulation results showed that the three frictional stress models accurately predicted the pressure drop and its variations with supplementary gas in the horizontal pipe, with relative errors ranging from −4.91% to +7.60%. Moreover, the predicted solids volume fraction distribution in the cross-section of the horizontal pipe using these frictional stress models exhibited good agreement with the electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) images. Notably, the influence of the three frictional stress models on the simulation results was predominantly observed in the transition region and deposited region. In the deposited region, stronger frictional stress resulting in lower solids volume fraction and a higher pressure drop in the horizontal pipe were observed. Among the three frictional stress models, the simulation results with the modified Berzi frictional stress model aligned better with the experimental data. Therefore, the modified Berzi frictional stress model is deemed more suitable for simulating high-pressure dense-phase pneumatic conveying in horizontal pipe. Full article

The deep sea harbors abundant mineral, oil, and gas resources, making it highly valuable for commercial development, including the extraction of minerals. Due to the relatively large particle size of these minerals, how they interact with fluids is significantly different from that of small particles. However, there has been limited simulation research on the impacts of large particles (the diameter of particles is at the level of centimeters) on the flow and wear characteristics in bends, because the simulation of the particles at such a size is difficult. Additionally, in the field of deep-sea mining, multiple bends are simultaneously connected in series, and the wear in such bends has garnered increasing attention. Based on an improved CFD-DEM model, this article solved the issue that traditional unresolved CFD-DEM methods cannot accurately simulate large particles in a hydraulic conveying pipe and bend. After validating the accuracy of this model against classical experiments, the paper comprehensively analyzes the modulation effect of large particles on turbulence, and the effects of different particle diameters, particle transport concentrations, and transport velocities on the wear of bends connected serially. Finally, the bends connected serially in various configurations are simulated to study the wear on the bent interior surfaces. Results indicate a pronounced modulation effect of large particles on turbulence at higher transport concentrations; the wear rate in the combined bends does not exhibit a linear correlation with the collision frequency of particles on the wall surface. Furthermore, different configurations of serially connected bends exhibit significant differences in the wear morphology of the second bend. Full article

In this paper, the Computational Fluid Dynamics–Discrete Element Method (CFD-DEM) coupling method was used to simulate the pneumatic transport of pebble particles in a three-blade spiral tube. The results showed that the flow field distribution rotated along the circumference after loading. The maximum velocity of the flow field after loading was manifested as rotation along the circumference. In addition, the swirl intensity decreased exponentially with the increase in conveying distance, and the maximum swirl intensity had a saturation value. After reaching the saturation value, it is not evident that increasing the initial air velocity significantly affected swirl variation. The smaller the pitch, the greater the initial swirl intensity. The swirling flow was conducive to the fluidization of particles, but it would bring a significant energy loss. Increasing the swirl can increase the degree of particle dispersion. There is an optimal tangential airflow velocity, which allows the particles to fully spin and stay in the suspension zone without being thrown onto the pipe wall by excessive centrifugal force. At this time, the energy efficiency reaches the highest level. A 5.87 m/s velocity was deemed the optimal tangential airflow velocity for conveying 3 mm particles. Full article

A possible method for fluid transportation of heavy oil through horizontal pipes is core annular flow (CAF), which is water-lubricated. In this study, a large eddy simulation (LES) and a sub-grid-scale (SGS) model are used to examine CAF. The behavior of heavy oil flow through turbulent CAF in horizontal pipes is numerically investigated. The Smagorinsky model is utilized to capture small-scale unstable turbulent flows. The transient flow of oil and water is first separated under the behavior of the core fluid. Two different conditions of the horizontal pipes, one with sudden expansion and the other with sudden contraction, are considered in the geometry to investigate the effects of different velocities of oil and water on the velocity distribution, pressure drop, and volume fraction. The model was created to predict the losses that occur due to fouling and wall friction. According to the model, increasing water flow can reduce fouling. Additionally, the water phase had an impact on the CAF’s behavior and pressure drop. Also, the increased stability in the CAF reduces the pressure drop to a level that is comparable to water flow. This study demonstrated that a very viscous fluid may be conveyed efficiently utilizing the CAF method. Full article

In previous research, a bionic hydraulic pipeline (BHP) with a three-layer structure for absorbing pulsation was invented. This paper proposes to disperse single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in the elastic layer material, namely silicone rubber (RTV), to enhance its ability to absorb pulsation. Firstly, the RTV-SWCNTs composite specimens with different SWCNT proportions are prepared and tested. It was found that the mechanical property is optimal when the volume content of the SWCNTs is 0.5 vol%. On this basis, BHPs with RTV-SWCNTs composite material as the elastic layer are fabricated to study the influence of the thickness and length of the elastic layer on the absorption flow pulsation. The results show that the addition of SWCNTs significantly improves the mechanical properties of silicone rubber and reduces the friction between the elastic material and oil, so that the BHP can absorb the pressure pulsation better. With the appropriate thickness and length of the elastic layer, the addition of SWCNTs can increase the pulsation suppression effect by 20%. Moreover, to analyze the influence of nanomaterials on pipeline friction, a comprehensive fourteen-equation model for describing the fluid–structure interaction (FSI) of the pipe conveying fluid considering friction coupling is established. And through numerical analysis and modal tests, the evaluation error for the modified dynamic model of the BHP is less than 5%, verifying the correctness of the proposed model and solution method. Full article

Aiming at the problems of high energy consumption and particle breakage in the pneumatic conveying process of large-scale breeding enterprises, in this paper, based on the theoretical calculated value of particle suspension velocity, a computational fluid model and a discrete element model are established based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and discrete element method (DEM). Then, through the numerical simulation of gas-solid two-phase flow, the influence of four factors of conveying wind speed, particle mass flow rate, pipe diameter, and particle size on the velocity distribution of particles in a horizontal pipe, dynamic pressure change in the pipe, pressure drop in the pipe, and solid mass concentration are studied. The results show that the k-ε turbulence model can better simulate the movement of gas-solid two-phase flow, and through the analysis of the simulation, the influence of four different factors on the conveying characteristics is obtained, which provides a scientific basis for the construction of the conveying line. Full article

The goal of this research is to convey an outlook of heat transfer and friction factor in an exper-imental study with a double-pipe heat exchanger (DPHE). In process heat transformation (HT) and friction factor(f) in a DPHE counter-flow with a twisted tape (TT) arrangement by dimple inserts. The grooves were a kind of concavity that enhanced thermal transfer while only slightly degrading pressure. Heat transmission (HT) and friction factor(f) were investigated employing dimples with twisting tape of varying diameters along with uniform diameter (D) to the diameter-to-depth ratio (D/H). The impact of using twisted tape with various dimpled diameters D = 2, 4, and 6 mm at a uniform (D/H) = 1.5, 3 and 4.5 on heat transmission and friction factor properties were discussed. The dimple diameter (D) was directly connected to the friction coefficient (f), hence the highest value of friction factor was established at (D) = 6 mm. Furthermore, the best performance of Nusselt number (Nu) and performance evaluation criteria (PEC) was determined at a diameter of 4 mm. As a result, dimpled twisted tape additions are an excellent and cost-effective approach to improve heat transformation in heat exchangers. With fluid as a water, lower parameters, and higher Reynolds number (Re) resulted in better thermal conditions. Thermal performance and friction factor(f) correlations were developed with regard to the ge-ometry of the dimple diameter (D), its ratio (D/H), ‘Re’, and a good correspondence with the experimental data was achieved. The novel geometry caused a smaller pressure drop despite its higher convection heat transfer coefficient. The results also showed that raising the ‘Re’ and nanofluid concentration, the pressure drop increased. Full article