Investigation on the Erosion Characteristics of Liquid–Solid Two-Phase Flow in Tee Pipes Based on CFD-DEM

Abstract

Tee pipes are widely utilized in pipeline transportation, especially in subsea production systems and the chemical industry. The purpose of this research is to study the influences of gravity direction, conveying parameters and particle properties on the erosion distribution in tee junctions. Investigation using the CFD-DEM coupled method is conducted on the flow mechanisms and erosion characteristics in a tee junction under different flow conditions. Firstly, numerical calculations of liquid–solid two-phase flow in a vertical cylindrical pipe are performed, and the comparison between simulation results and experimental results is carried out. Then, the verified lift and erosion models are used for the numerical calculations of tee pipes. Flow mechanisms and erosion characteristics are numerically investigated through analysis of the velocity profiles, streamlines, and erosion contours. The results indicate that the gravity direction has a nonnegligible influence on the cross-sectional velocity profiles, particularly under the condition of high velocity and high particle concentration. The region with the maximum erosion rate occurred at the branch pipes, about three fourths of the pipe diameter away from the tee junction.