Effects of the radii of curvature and the connecting length on erosion behavior in sequentially connected elbows
Abstract Many studies have explored elbow erosion via experiments or computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, focusing on large particle erosion in single elbows and neglecting small particle erosion between two elbows. This study proposes a water‒particle two-phase flow erosion prediction mo...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04961-x |
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| Summary: | Abstract Many studies have explored elbow erosion via experiments or computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, focusing on large particle erosion in single elbows and neglecting small particle erosion between two elbows. This study proposes a water‒particle two-phase flow erosion prediction model that considers pipeline connections such as elbows. The model is based on the CFD–Discrete Phase Model and is validated by experimental data. It takes into account the interaction of water-particle, particle‒particle, and particle‒wall. How the length of the connection and the curvature radius of the elbow affect particle motion and erosion behavior in elbows is examined. The findings indicate that as the connecting length increased, erosion patterns in the first elbow remained stable with a V-shaped erosion pattern, whereas erosion in the second elbow became uniform. With longer connecting lengths, more particles mix before they enter the second elbow. The particles in the core flow region caused severe erosion upon impact, whereas those near the wall caused less erosion. Increasing the radius of curvature in the first elbow led to a ‘tadpole’-shaped erosion pattern, whereas in the second elbow, it became uniform. The study also noted that the length of the upstream connection pipe significantly influenced erosion in downstream elbows. These insights are critical for improving elbow design and reducing erosion in oil and gas pipelines. |
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| ISSN: | 2045-2322 |