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The Benefits
Efficient handling of solid particulates in a liquid is an essential element in the safe and cost effective design and operation of many pipeline transportation and processing systems. Failure to adequately predict the transportation mechanisms and solid behaviour can lead to excessive wear, reduction in performance, breakdown of equipment, and large increases in maintenance costs and downtime.

Deposition of solid particles can also occur, bringing severe problems including drop in flow rates, change in composition of the outflow, equipment malfunction, and intermittent slugs of deposits causing damage to equipment.

Predicting erosion and deposition from slurry is extremely difficult, due to the complex fluid dynamics involved. Such predictions must be backed up by testing to give any real confidence. BHRSolutions' range of modelling and test facilities offer a solution.

Our experience already covers a wide range of industrial sectors including energy (oil and gas, electricity, coal), mining, chemical and bulk fluids handling.

Services

Using our wide range of test and modelling facilities, a number of services can be offered - described opposite:

• measuring the characteristics of the slurry
• estimating of wear or deposition rates for components or pipelines
• determining the effects of changing fluid characteristics
• determining the effect of changing flow conditions
• assessment of new or alternative equipment designs for erosion or deposition performance
• And this can also be combined with our range of physical and CFD facilities for pipeline and equipment performance modelling and testing and flow-pattern measurement and estimation.

For more information, see our Case Studies, or contact us to discuss your problem.

Estimation of Wear and Deposition Rates
Using our test techniques, the wear or deposition pattern and rate in individual items of equipment, or specific pipeline geometries can be estimated, thus allowing more accurate prediction of lifetime costs and planning of maintenance schedules.

Changing Fluid Characteristics
The wear associated with different fluids can be very different, for example changing the proportions of different components of the slurry, or the particle size distribution, can have dramatic effects on the wear rates seen on a component/pipeline. Using our facilities, slurry properties can be characterised, and variation in the properties characterised and then used in tests. Thus the uncertainty of, or variation in the composition of the slurry can be allowed for.

Changing Flow Conditions
Flow conditions can also have a dramatic effect on wear rates and patterns. Using our test facilities, the effect of variations in flow conditions such as pressure or overall flow rate can be tested.

Evaluating Equipment Designs
If a new component design is to be introduced into a slurry, it is important that the component can be shown to safely survive operation with the abrasive slurry, before it is introduced into the actual system. Using our facilities, equipment can be tested before it is introduced to the pipeline.

Test Facilities
Two different test approaches can be used to test erosion: closed loop flow testing, and simulation of abrasive conditions. A number of variables can then be measured, depending on the exact problem. Both approaches depend on characterising the rheology of the slurry.

Closed Loop Testing
Here the abrasive slurry is circulated through a closed loop involving the test section: the section of pipeline or the component to be tested. The wear is determined after a given number of hours of abrasion, or at a range of times to assess the wear pattern. This wear value is then used to calculate the expected wear after any given time interval by direct extrapolation.

Simulation of Erosion
Here the wear is induced in the component by some other process than the flow of slurry. The range of simulation tests is wide and range from Jet impact testing to having material specimens rotating in the actual slurry. Wear of the test specimen is usually measured by weight loss from which the volume loss of material and mean erosion depth can be calculated.

Measurement of Wear
Wear can be measured using one of a number of different techniques, depending on the type of erosion that will cause problems in the specific design. Measurements can include weight loss, volume difference, ultrasonic gauging of specific dimensions, etc.