PREDICTION OF VERTICAL LIQUID-SOLID PIPE-FLOW USING MEASURED CONCENTRATION DISTRIBUTION

The performance of a standard (k-L) turbulence model for predicting sl urry pipeline pressure gradients is examined using experimental measur ements of velocity and solids concentration distribution for upward ve rtical flows. Assuming the solids concentration rises abruptly from a value of zero at the pipe wall over a distance corresponding to one ha lf a particle diameter, satisfactory predictions were obtained for san d particles of median diameter up to about 800 mu m in a 25.8 mm verti cal pipeline. No damping of fluid turbulence or additional stresses du e to particle-particle interactions were included in the computational model. Velocity distributions are found to be natter than those of tu rbulent single-phase flows, because of the variation of mixture proper ties in the vicinity of the pipe wall.