A Study on Optimal Sizing of Pipeline Transporting Equi-sized Particulate Solid-Liquid Mixture

Abstract

Abstract. Pipelines transporting solid-liquid mixtures are of practical interest to the oil and pipe industry throughout the world. Such pipelines are known as slurry pipelines where the solid medium of the flow is commonly known as slurry. The optimal designing of such pipelines is of commercial interests for their widespread acceptance. A methodology has been evolved for the optimal sizing of a pipeline transporting solid-liquid mixture. Least cost principle has been used in sizing such pipelines, which involves the determination of pipe diameter corresponding to the minimum cost for given solid throughput. The detailed analysis with regard to transportation of slurry having solids of uniformly graded particles size has been included. The proposed methodology can be used for designing a pipeline for transporting any solid material for different solid throughput. IntroductionIn case of mineral processing, the ore is generally available in remote areas. At such sites, rail and road facilities are usually non-existent. For such situations it is usually worthwhile to consider the possibility of hydraulic transportation of solids which can help in relocation of the processing plants at more convenient locations. Slurry pipelines are used in various industries for transporting solids in crushed form along with the carrier liquid. These pipelines have proven to be cost effective as compared to other modes of transportation of solids in bulk form. Some other advantages associated with slurry pipe line system over other modes are:1. Economy of scale 2. Few traffic and accidental hazards 3. Eco-Friendliness etc.The conventional techniques that are used for hydraulic pipelines for analysis and optimization are also applicable to hydraulic slurry pipelines. Working within the limits of technical and operational constraints, the objective is to arrive at the most economical solution. To achieve this, the different variables involved have to be optimized as per the procedure discussed below:

Real-time monitoring and control of flow rate in transportation pipelines using Matlab-based interactive GUI and PID controller

“…Vector matrix control based pressure control is applied variable speed drives [13]. In [14] a least cost sizing is adopted for reducing pipe size.…”

Simulação de condição de fluxo em duto circular transportando polpa de bauxita de Paragominas (PA) na presença de aditivo modificador de viscosidade

“…Esta alternativa de transporte pode ser muito viável para se transportar minérios extraídos em locais de difícil acesso, com pouca infraestrutura, distantes do ponto final, como é o caso do mineroduto de bauxita. Além disso, aspectos referentes à baixa geração de resíduos oriundos do transporte e baixo risco de acidentes durante o transporte são apontados como principais vantagens deste sistema de transporte de minérios ASIM [4].…”