Experimental Investigations of Pressure Loss Characterizations for Coal-Water Mixture Transport through Pipe Fittings

The pipeline method of coal transportation has numerous benefits, such as a cost-effective solution to transport high volumes of material, continuous operation, environmental benefits, reduced labour costs compared to traditional modes of transport like rail or truck. Moreover, coal slurry transport is crucial in many industrial applications, such as coal-fired power plants, steel manufacturing, coal liquefaction plants, mining operations, etc. Understanding the pressure drop characteristics of coal slurry behaviour inside the pipeline is vital for efficient system design and operation. In this experimental study, pilot-level pipe loop experiments were conducted to analyse the coal slurry flow behaviour inside a pilot plant test loop having sudden contractions, and bends. Experimental setup was fabricated to transport coal slurry, mixture of coal and water, through pipeline transitions. The coal particles characteristics were examined using various characterization techniques such as scanning electron microscope, thermal analyzer etc. The pressure drops were examined for a flow rate ranging from 10 m3/hr. to 40 m3/hr. and coal concentration (Cw) of 3%, 7%, and 10% over the bend and sudden contraction pipeline transitions. The results revealed complex relationships between pressure drop, slurry properties, flow conditions, and pipeline geometry. The understanding of key flow regimes, assessment of the relationship between particle size distribution and pressure loss, and the development of correlations developed empirically for pressure drop prediction over pipeline transitions were amongst the key findings. The present study provides valuable insights for optimizing coal slurry transport systems and contributed to the broader understanding of multiphase flow dynamics in complex geometries.