Pipelining of Low-Concentration Sand-Water Mixtures

The present study deals with critical deposit velocity V_C, defined as the velocity at which particles begin to settle from the carrying medium and form a stationary (nonmoving) deposit along the invert of the pipe. Newtonian suspensions of low solids concentrations (C ≤ 5%) are of particular interest, because the critical deposit velocity of low-concentration mixtures is presently not well defined. An analysis of the significant parameters in this problem is presented and various forms of the modified Froude number are defined and tested. From a regression analysis of the experimental data, correlation of the tested parameters quantitatively defines the modified Froude number relationship. The economic implications of applying the Lehigh equations in systems design are discussed.