Abstract
The present study focuses on the erosion phenomenon caused by particle transport during fluid flow, specifically in complex geometries. A cylindrical geometry is used in conjunction with a conical bore known as “throat.” In-situ focus is performed to target the effects of surface roughness and the rotation of transported particles. The two-phase flow is modeled using the Euler-Lagrange approach. The near-wall turbulence model, K-ω, governs the stochastic flow. The number of particles injected in terms of “number of tries” plays a significant impact not just on the erosion rate, but also on the quality of the numerical resolution. To predict the erosion rate, a user-defined function (UDF) is used to model erosion based on the equations proposed by Mansouri, Zhang, and DNV. Several empirical parameters have been implemented. The obtained results are validated based on Mansouri's experimental work. The findings reveal severe degradation in the drilled conical shape due to the sudden increase in velocity at the inlet of the throat. The erosion rate in the throat geometry increases by 46% compared to the flat plate. The particle rotation is mainly generated by the Magnus-lift force which is caused by the shear flow and velocity gradients. The latter are predominant phenomena close to the wall, where the erosion takes place. Surface erosion decreases proportionally to surface roughness. The rotation of the particles increases the erosion rate by 12%. Combined with surface roughness, particle rotation dominates material removal.
