Particle-ladened flow in pipes and channels

Abstract

This project is a research-based project between Nanyang Technological University and Jurong Port Private Limited. The first aim of this project is to experimentally investigate the air and cement flow encountered in an air-slide conveyor and pneumatic conveyor. Said conveyors are presently used at Jurong Port Terminal. The second aim is to, based on the results of the investigations, explore potential engineering modifications that can increase cement delivery rate or reduce instances of choking e.g. varying the mass flow rate (cement) by adjusting the speed of the blower. These modifications are targeted to increase the operational efficiency of cement rig.

Based on the single-phase PIV measurements, the author was able to determine flow conditions at three different locations of the rig – the three locations allowed a better understanding of how the flow changed along the rig.

The data from the two-phase PIV experiments allowed the author to distinguish the flow of cement particles from airflow. The results concluded that the cement particles were able to track the airflow well and future experiments can be conducted in single-phase. This is important as it eliminates complications involved in two-phase PIV experiments where the seeding particles (Rhodamine dye) were absorbed by the cement. Also, as the mass flow rate increases, the cement particles will increasingly block light from the atomized dye, which may result in errors in results.