On the applicability of ultrasound flow visualization for the study of erosive wear by solid particles projected from turbulent slurry

Abstract

The study of erosion caused by turbulent flow of slurries is crucial for designing and operating the flow handling systems, predicting their reliability and useful life. This research explores the capacity of ultrasound particle image velocimetry (UPIV) for determining the impact parameters of solid particles projected from turbulent slurry onto a target surface. A slurry pot configuration was employed, and it was equipped with two linear transducers observing the flow at radial and axial planes. Three levels of rotational velocity were tested corresponding to the linear velocity of the moving target of 2.5, 3.0, and 3.5 m/s. For validation, the velocities and angles of individual particle impacts measured by UPIV were analyzed comparatively with analogous information derived by inverse analysis of effective wear scars using two deformation models. Velocity components measured by the two methods are statistically consistent for the two observation planes. The UPIV is concluded to present a new tool for the study of erosive wear with a focus on the slurry-target interface.