Numerical analysis of erosion pattern on pipe elbow bend with swirling flows

Abstract

Abstract Abrasive solid erosion is a common issue faced in many industrial applications and can incur significant loss to production efficiency. In a piping system, the bends are generally the most vulnerable to the abrasive erosion due to the abrupt change of flow. Reducing the erosion at the bend is key to industries for safety purpose and ensure equipment longevity. This research focusses on the effectiveness of utilizing the swirling flow in reducing the erosion rate at the elbow bends. Numerical approaches are adopted to systematically evaluate the impact of the degree of swirling in the flow on the erosion reduction at the elbow. The results demonstrate the promising prospect of the swirling flows as a mechanism to control the erosion at the pipe elbow.