Two-phase flow and wear of 90 bend pipes by normally distributed particles

Wear is a key cause of pipe failure in pipeline conveying systems. Solid-phase particles can lead to wall wear, which reduces the reliability of the conveying system. In this study, a numerical simulation of 1-3 mm particles with a normal distribution in a 90 degrees bend section was performed based on a coupled computational method of computational fluid dynamics and discrete unit method. The results revealed that a protective layer of particles is formed near the outer wall of the bend, which reduces the direct collision of particles during the flow and protects the surface of the bend. Comparative analysis revealed that the maximum wear area of the bend is in the range 75 degrees-90 degrees in the middle of the bend section.